MTV ‘Catfish’ host Nev Schulman shares tips on how to avoid online romance scams
In a world where people meet their significant others online, the other end of the spectrum presents a risk of falling victim to romance scams.
Romance scams occur when a criminal adopts a fake identity to gain a victim’s trust. The scammer then often uses that connection to manipulate and deceive the unsuspecting person.
Since 2017, people have reported losing $1.3 billion to romance scams, according to a report from the Federal Trade Commission.
Nev Schulman, host and executive producer of MTV’s “Catfish,” spoke to The Charlotte Observer to provide consumer tips on how to spot them, and what to do if you’re victimized.
Who do romance scammers target?
Anyone can be the target of a romance scam, Schulman said.
“I don’t think there are any groups that are excluded,” he added. “Anybody of any age or demographic could potentially be a target.”
Scammers often prey on older people who are divorced or widowed due to their emotional hardships, or those who overshare feelings of despair because of their desire to form intimate relationships, Schulman said.
What methods do romance scammers use to trick people?
Schulman said there are two main strategies scammers use to lure their victims:
The “buckshot approach,” where someone sends thousands of messages to people on dating apps and social media pretending to be someone they know.
A targeted method where someone sends messages through a fake profile to a person on social media and slowly develops a relationship with them. In this approach, a person usually begins what is called “love bombing.” This is a practice where someone showers another person with excessive attention, admiration and affection to make the recipient feel dependency.
“That oftentimes is very exciting and attractive to people who are looking for relationships and a way to connect with someone,” Schulman said in reference to love bombing. “There are many different versions of it, but these seem to be the two we see the most.”
What are romance scammers looking to obtain?
Romance scammers usually go after some form of money, including cash, gift cards, money transfers and bill payments, Schulman said.
“Often it will be a cell phone bill because people will say ‘I really want to keep talking to you, but I can’t pay my phone bill this month, so if you want to keep talking to me, pay my bill,’” he explained. “It may not even be their bill, it could be anyone else.”
Bank statements and social security numbers can be valuable to scammers as they can be used to take money or impersonate their victims, Schulman said.
What are signs of romance scams?
Schulman said people can look out for these potential red flags when chatting with someone online:
Promising things that seem too good to be true.
Avoiding in-person meetings or video chats.
Refusing to answer questions about themselves.
Sparse information on their social media or dating app profile.
How catfishing is used to scam people
While most of the cases Schulman has covered on his show involve tricksters looking to deceive others to help a friend – or get revenge on them – catfishing can also be used to elicit money from people.
“There are plenty of people who will create catfish profiles, fill them with photos of some other person, create a description and a life story and start sending people friend requests with hopes that any number of them will accept,” Schulman said. “I think it’s pretty easy for people to get them to engage.”
People who fall prey to financial scams are upset that they were cheated out of the opportunity to form a relationship, Schulman said.
“It’s less about the money and more about the loss of that connection, friendship, and trust they believed they had built with someone,” he said. “They feel embarrassed, naive and upset with themselves, and they have a hard time trusting people going forward. That’s really the saddest part about all of this.”
How can you verify someone’s identity?
The best way to verify someone’s identity is to meet them in person, Schulman said, but doing so can come with some risks.
“They could still lie to you, so you never really know for sure,” he said. “There are websites you can use to run background checks, and search photos and phone numbers. But they’re not necessarily guaranteed to be accurate.
“Some of this stuff feels a little ‘stalker-y,’ but you’re allowed to fact check and verify that someone is who they say they are,” Schulman added. “Don’t feel bad about doing your research.”
What can you do if you get scammed?
If you have been scammed, you should report it to the platform where it happened, to your bank and to the authorities if necessary, Schulman said. Unfortunately, in most cases, there is no way to get your money back, but you can help make dating apps and social media sites safer for others.
This story was originally published March 28, 2022 at 10:08 AM.
