A North Vancouver women has taken a hit to the heart and her bank account.
After developing a long-distance relationship with a man using the website match.com, the women was asked to send her new love interest $27,000. The man claimed to be living out of country and needed the money to help with legal fees for a construction contract. Promising to pay her back when he returned to Canada, the man took the money and ran.
Tens of thousands of dollars are scammed from on-line daters each year, said Cst. Brett Cunningham of the North Vancouver RCMP. It's heartbreaking and frustrating to investigate these types of frauds. The victim is suffering both an emotional and financial loss. The money transactions are hard to trace and prosecution is difficult.
Online predators are using dating sites to fabricate photographs, resumes, job titles and elaborate life stories in an attempt to gain the victim's trust. Once that relationship is built, the scammers will often ask for money under the false pretence to pay the victim back.
You need to ask yourself the important questions, says Cst. Cunningham. Why am I not able to meet them in person?; Why do they refuse to talk via webcam?; and more importantly, Is this too good to be true?
If you choose to date online, police advise you to keep the following security tips in mind so you don't put more than your heart on the line:
Never disclose personal information.
Never disclose credit card or banking information.
Do not provide your address under the guise of receiving gifts.
Should you decide to meet your online date in person, ensure your first meeting is in a public place.
Make sure you tell a trusted friend or family member about your date, including who you are meeting, where and when.
