Lovers of love are being warned ‘Romance Scammers’ will steal your heart and swindle your money.
Gardaí say more than €7 million has been stolen from the victims of romance-fraud in the past five years.
This Valentine’s Day, they’re advising the public to beware of romance scams and those taking advantage of the increasing popularity of dating apps.
Of 245 victims that came forward, the majority were female and their average financial loss was around €28,000.
The highest reported loss by a woman in Ireland was over €450,000 stolen in 18 transactions, while one man had more than €380,000 taken.
Typically, fraudsters use someone else’s photos to set up a fake ID to scour through profiles and identify potential victims who they groom, to get their money.
Gardaí say victims believe they’ve met their perfect match online, but are really being terribly deceived.
They say be careful of sharing personal details online, never send money or bank details, and if in doubt – contact Gardaí.
