A 60-year-old from the Vorpommern-Greifswald district fell victim to a perfidious scam: she transferred more than 300,000 euros to an alleged businessman whom she had met through an online dating site.
Anklam. It's a scam that always claims victims: fraudsters who specifically search on social networks or dating sites - not for love, but for money. The Anklam police station announced in a statement that a woman from the Vorpommern-Greifswald district lost more than 300,000 euros to such a fraudster. The case became known on Wednesday (January 8th).
For the 60-year-old woman from Western Pomerania, it all started with nice messages on an online dating platform. The man, who claimed to be an entrepreneur, talked about financial bottlenecks. It was about wages for employees and tax claims that allegedly urgently needed to be paid.
The woman repeatedly transferred money between October 2024 and January 2025 - a total of over 300,000 euros to various foreign accounts. When she finally realized the fraud, it was too late. The criminal police have started investigating fraud.
Police advise: Be careful when demanding money online
The police are again warning of so-called “love scamming” cases. The aim of the fraudsters is to use made-up stories and feigned affection to gain the trust of their victims and thus persuade them to transfer money.
To protect yourself, you should always be suspicious of requests for money from online acquaintances. “Never transfer money to people you don’t know personally,” advises the police. Those affected should contact the authorities immediately and back up all documents such as chat histories or emails.
