Today, large numbers of people meet others online. Scammers attempt to “groom” prospective victims often for months. They talk like it’s a romantic relationship but it’s not. Eventually, they ask for money. There are signs that the contact is a scammer. They will tell the victim that they are a wealthy individual, often working overseas now (they are an engineer, working for the government, or in the military). They will send attractive photos that they have taken off the web. They will often send pictures of fake IDs or bank statements. Typically, they will send a photo of a fake passport. They will often send an official-looking document stating they have a large contract for a lot of money. For some “reason,” they never seem to be able to meet in person. Then, a “crisis” arises in which, even though they are “rich,” they need the victim to send money. The money is gone once the victim sends a wire transfer to the scammer. It’s transferred out within minutes. Often, the individuals that the victim sends money to are themselves victims of the scammer, they are called “money mules.” They move the money on and don’t even know they are committing a crime.
Safety tip for Romance Scams: NEVER GIVE MONEY TO SOMEONE YOU HAVE NOT MET IN PERSON.