Video Transcript

Romance scams are designed to pull at your heartstrings and the consequences of these scams are often financially and emotionally devastating to victims. 

These scams occur when a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust, and then uses the illusion of a romantic relationship to manipulate or steal from the victim. 

The criminals who carry out romance scams are experts at what they do and will seem genuine, caring, and believable. 

Be wary of people you only meet online who are quick to establish a relationship and gain your trust. They may ask for money for an emergency or unexpected expense, and may even ask you to pay for their travel to visit you. 

But, you likely will never meet this person face to face.  If someone you meet online needs your bank account information, they are most likely using your account to carry out a fraud scheme. 

Report fraud or attempted fraud to the FBI at IC3.gov, this information will help investigate these criminals