An Garda Síochána is advising people to beware of Romance Scams.
Yesterday, Gript reported the case of a 50-year-old Dutch woman living in Ireland who was brought before the criminal courts after a man she believed she was in a relationship with for three years – whom she had never met – used her bank account to launder money stolen through an invoice redirect scam. Gardaí warn that victims of ‘romance scams’ “believe they have met their perfect match online, but the other person is in fact a scammer using a fake profile to build the relationship. They slowly gain the victim’s trust with a view to eventually asking them for money.”
They say that an Irish woman who fell victim to a fake Romeo was “showered with expensive gifts, including scarves and perfumes, before she was asked to invest in her suitor’s business. Over a thirteen (13) month period, the woman gave the romance fraudster €48,000. The woman initially delayed reporting the fraud to Gardaí as she was married.”
The extent of the scam is often fully uncovered because many victims are” too embarrassed to report the fraud to Gardaí.”
Detective Inspector Catharina Gunne from the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau issued a warning and some telltale signs that someone may be being groomed by a romance scammer where fraudsters may use some of the following techniques to entice their victims into sending them money.
• to cover the cost of travelling to see the victim;
• for emergency medical expenses for the scammer or a family member — typically a child;
• a business opportunity which would allow them to live together comfortably.
Gardaí say that in the beginning the amount of money requested is usually small but” increases as the scammer becomes more successful in building the ‘relationship’ and tricking the victim.”
A romance fraudster in the west of Ireland was found guilty of taking nearly €19,000 from a victim. The perpetrator obtained money through deception over a five (5) month period after meeting the victim through a dating website.
An Garda Síochána says it is working closely with Europol to “disrupt the activities of romance scammers, particularly organised crime gangs that engage in this type of criminality. Dating websites are often monitored for criminality.”
Romance Fraudsters will: