Time and again, lonely women come across so-called romance scammers on the Internet. Despite their different, interesting biographies, they all have one thing in common. They are so-called “love scammers” who are not looking for true love on the Internet, but rather for big money.

Be careful when looking for love

Even though the Internet offers a good opportunity to get to know other people, sometimes there is a scammer behind the nice online flirtation. Love scammers are particularly sophisticated online, especially on social networks, in order to lure their victims around their fingers. Fake CVs, stolen pictures, fake names and fabricated family tragedies are often just the beginning of disastrous affairs. For weeks, the perpetrators try to win the trust and hearts of their victims. When the time comes, demands for money or requests for small favors come. This includes money transfers, check acceptance or package forwarding.

Love or romance scamming

In police circles, this type of fraud is known as “love scamming” or romance scamming”. According to the experiences of the criminal investigators from the Heidelberg Criminal Investigation Department, the love fraudsters predominantly come from Africa, Asia or South America. Victims often only realize late that they are dealing with fraudsters.

Current case in Wiesloch

Unfortunately, a 49-year-old woman from Wiesloch also had this experience. Over a period of around four months, the woman transferred almost 15,000 euros to “Luiz-Francois from Paris”. Luiz-Francois initially contacted him via Instagram in January 2022. After about a month, they were so familiar that the 49-year-old exchanged cell phone numbers with her “new” friend in order to continue communicating via WhatsApp, but only in writing. To further underline the trust, the Frenchman sent pictures showing him with his 10-year-old son. Direct calls or video chats were blocked by “Luiz-Francois” for flimsy reasons.

After two months of intensive chatting, the 49-year-old was confronted with her first demand for money at the beginning of March. The first time there were delivery difficulties and customs clearance formalities, then a hospital stay after a traffic accident, and then an account blocking through no fault of his own. When “Luiz-Francois” was stopped at the French-German border on Saturday, May 7th with a suitcase full of cash that he wanted to personally return to his “great love”, he was given another 1,000 euros deposit for his If she needed release, the 49-year-old had enough.

Fraud detected. Report filed.

She recognized the long-hidden suspicion that she had been cheated and filed a police report on May 12th.

In the meantime the amounts had added up to almost 15,000 euros. What is particularly tragic for the woman is the fact that she took out a loan from her bank and is now heavily in debt.

Police warning

The fraud department of the Heidelberg Criminal Investigation Department has taken over the further investigation and is urgently warning against “love scammers” on the Internet. In the present case, the images that “Luiz-Francois” sent the 49-year-old originally came from an Instagram account of an American “influencer,” according to the investigators’ initial findings.

In the Mannheim police headquarters area, investigators registered a total of 66 cases in 2020 (Mannheim: 14; Heidelberg: 8; Rhein-Neckar district: 44). The damage amounted to over 800,000 euros. A total of 58 cases were processed for 2021 (Mannheim: 9; Heidelberg: 6; Rhein-Neckar district: 43). The damage amounted to well over 500,000 euros. A senior citizen, also from Wiesloch, transferred 400,000 euros to several love scammers over the course of ten years. Overall, the investigators assume that the number of unreported cases is high.

The phenomenon of love fraud

“Love scamming” or “romance scamming” is not just a local or Germany-wide phenomenon, but occurs worldwide. But how do I protect myself? How do I recognize scammers?

This is how “love scammers” or “love scammers” or “romance scammers” do it:

  • The first contact takes place via social media or dating platforms.
  • Most scammers communicate in good English.
  • While male love cheaters (scammers) often wear uniforms in pictures, female scammers attract people with an attractive appearance and light clothing.
  • Scammers shower their victims with compliments and exuberant expressions of love early on.

An expert tip from Mimikama: When you receive photos, use the reverse image search, for example on Google. The first indications that fraudsters are at work often emerge here.

What to do as a victim?

Do you suspect that you have already been scammed/scammed? This is what you can do:

  • IGNORE: Do not accept the request and under no circumstances transfer any money.
  • SAVE: Save all emails and chat texts as evidence.
  • GET HELP: Report it to the police.
  • BLOCK: Break off all contact.

For victims of love or romance scamming, this is often associated with high emotional stress and feelings of shame. If you need help or psychological advice, please contact the BEKO Rhein-Neckar advice center at any time: https://www.beko-rn.de/

Further information on the topic of “love scamming” or “romance scamming” can be found here: https://www.polizei-beratung.de/themen-und-tipps/betrug/scamming/

Conclusion

Love scammers always try to take advantage of people's loneliness.

They create a false biography and try to quickly bond their victims emotionally and then use an apparent need to persuade them to give them money. There are some signals by which you can recognize love cheats. At the latest when money comes into play, all alarm sirens should go off.

This might also be of interest: Identity theft on Facebook

Source: Mannheim Police Headquarters via Presseporta l


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Notes:
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