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| -Lurid Crime Tales- |
| 'I live abroad, give me money': How scammers exploit dating sites |
| 2025-09-22 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Daniil of Moscow [REGNUM] Muscovite Pavel Devyatov (not his real name) still can't believe he fell for such a simple scam. The encounter on a popular dating app seemed ordinary: a cute girl, pleasant correspondence, and an offer to meet. On their first date, she suggested going to a "cozy spot" for a hookah. Pavel agreed—what could be suspicious about a girl wanting to show him her favorite cafe? The evening was going pleasantly until the bill arrived. It was about 60,000 rubles for a hookah, tea, and light snacks. Pavel was shocked, but he had to pay—the establishment hinted that otherwise "there would be problems." The girl disappeared under the pretext of going to the restroom before the bill arrived. The next day, her profile was deleted and her phone number blocked. Pavel's story is just one example of how scammers exploit people's desire to find a soulmate. FROM VIRTUAL LOVE TO REAL LOSSES The Ministry of Internal Affairs has drawn attention to a common scam on dating sites. According to the agency, there's a high probability you're dealing with a scammer if the person claims to live abroad but is actively seeking a partner in a Russian region. The scheme works simply: the scammer creates an attractive profile and indicates, for example, that he or she is temporarily abroad—working as a doctor in a war zone, an engineer on an oil rig, or a military adviser. After weeks of correspondence and virtual declarations of love, requests for money begin. The reasons are always urgent. For example, the perpetrators claim they've been detained at the border and need funds for bail. Another popular ploy is to lure the victim into "investing." First, the standard treatment begins: a glamorous life, travel photos, expensive restaurants. Then the new acquaintance begins to casually talk about their successful investments. The victim is shown screenshots of huge sums in accounts and told about simple ways to make money on cryptocurrency or exchanges. Then they offer to teach them how to make their first money. The victim invests a small amount and may even be shown profits on a fake platform. And then the classic scenario begins: to withdraw profits, you need to pay an additional “commission” or “tax” and activate a “premium account.” A man met one of these victims in a dating chat on a popular messaging app, and after a while, his "trader friend" joined the conversation. After a brief conversation, the woman transferred 20,000 rubles. She was then transferred to a more experienced "specialist," who topped up her account with an equal amount. When the scammers began persuading her to take out a 400,000 ruble loan to participate in a "special project," and when she refused, they resorted to threats, it became clear to the woman that it was a scam. In addition to the classic schemes, new ones are emerging. For example, a profile might state that the person is very busy, so please leave your phone number and a personal assistant will contact you. This means there's a marriage agency in operation. They'll then extort money for "improving your profile," promising to introduce you to a wealthy candidate in exchange. Another scenario is when the profile states that the person is willing to help financially, but requires that you meet their expectations. Most likely, they'll ask for explicit photos, and then begin blackmailing you. 3,976,652 There are several warning signs that should alert dating site users. The main one is attempts to transfer the conversation to another messaging app. Official apps are moderated, artificial intelligence monitors suspicious activity, and messages can be verified after a complaint. Regular messaging apps lack such protections. Therefore, scammers always insist on switching to third-party apps, citing "I rarely use them" or "it's easier to share photos there." You should also be wary of unnatural communication. If the other person responds with generalities, ignores specific questions, or uses strange turns of phrase, it's possible they're a bot or a person working from a template. When asked, "How did you spend your weekend?" a normal person will share something personal. A scammer might say something like, "The weekend is a great time to relax"—a text clearly culled from a script. Overly perfect photos are another red flag. Model-like appearance, professional shots, and travel to exotic countries should raise suspicions. Such photos should be checked using an image search—it often turns out that the photos were stolen from other people's pages or stock photo sites. Older adults are at increased risk. According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, the average loss from romance scams among people over 70 was $9,000—almost four times higher than in other age groups. In one high-profile case, an 87-year-old Manhattan resident lost approximately $2.8 million that he transferred to a woman he met on a dating site. Sometimes victims themselves become unwitting accomplices to crime. An 81-year-old American woman was sentenced to five years' probation for working as a "money mule" for her virtual lover. She opened fraudulent bank accounts and cashed the checks sent, ignoring warnings from federal agents that she was being scammed. Unfortunately, recovering money transferred to fraudsters is virtually impossible. Law enforcement agencies are rarely able to help, especially if the criminals operated from abroad. HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF Rule No. 1 Plead poverty. Never transfer money to people you met online, even if you've been communicating for months. True feelings aren't measured by money transfers. Be extremely careful when clicking links from new acquaintances. They may suggest chatting in another chat room, supposedly "more convenient." However, if you click on such a link, you could encounter a virus or phishing scam. Video calls are an easy way to test your interlocutor. If someone avoids video calls for months, citing a bad connection or a broken camera, that's cause for concern. Real people with serious intentions aren't afraid to show their true colors. If the scammer succeeds, you should definitely contact the police. It's important to save all correspondence, screenshots of the scammer's profile, and transaction details. You should also contact the dating service—they'll block the scammer's account. This will at least protect other users to some extent. Dating sites and apps are a great way to find love, but it's important to remember safety. Be vigilant, exercise healthy suspicion, and verify your partner's information—names, photos, and reviews. |
| Posted by:badanov |
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| Posted by: Skidmark 2025-09-22 11:59 |
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| Posted by: Procopius2k 2025-09-22 06:30 |