News
Romance Scams to Surge Next Two Weeks, California Victim Available for Interview, 3,110 Missouri Victims Lost $120 Million Last Year
December 2021 by SocialCatfish.com
A California-based social media influencer, Author, Speaker, and filmmaker had his identity stolen by Nigerian romance scammers during the COVID-19 pandemic and they used it to trick victims seeking love out of their money.
The study used the most recent data from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center which found Americans lost a record $304 million to romance scammers last year and California was the No. 1 most-scammed state with 3,110 victims losing $120,492,182.
Romance scams will surge over the next two weeks as scammers prey on lonely people during the holidays.
SocialCatfish.com President David McClellan is also available to discuss why romance scams will surge over the final two weeks of 2021 and 5 Signs You are Being Catfished:
1) Will Not Meet in Person or Video Chat: They keep finding excuses not to video chat or meet. They send pictures of themselves with your name written on a piece of paper to prove they are real, but these are photoshopped.
2) Asks to Move Away from the Dating App: They want to move the conversation off the dating app and onto an online messaging platform such as WhatsApp or Google Hangouts.
3) Poor Grammar but Claims to be Educated: They claim to be highly educated but their messages are littered with typos and grammatical errors.
4) Confesses Love Quickly: Their goal is shower you with love to gain your trust so they can steal your money. If the person moves too quickly and asks for the same in return, it is a red flag.
5) Asks for Financial Assistance: They claim to have an emergency and ask you to send money. They may also ask for your bank account information so they can deposit money into your account.
To avoid becoming a victim, never give money or personal information to anyone you have not met in person. Do a reverse search to verify their identity.
