Lost 100,000 euros: Wolgasterin (59) falls for love scammers
Scammers often write to single people via social networks and build a friendly relationship. Later they ask for money. This was the fate of a woman from the Vorpommern-Greifswald district who repeatedly transferred large amounts of money to criminals.
Wolgast. A 59-year-old woman from Wolgast fell for a love scammer – a so-called love scammer – and lost more than 100,000 euros. On Tuesday, a day before Valentine's Day, she filed a police report. What happened?
A previously unknown man had contacted her via the social network “LinkedIn”, established a friendly relationship with her and later asked her for financial help. According to the police, the first contacts were made at the end of February last year. The injured party is said to have had contact with the suspect until February 6, 2024.
“She transferred large amounts of money several times to various foreign and German accounts,” said a police spokeswoman.
In total, the woman lost over 100,000 euros. The Anklam criminal police have started investigating fraud.
The perpetrators come via the Internet
What is love scamming? “It is a modern scam in which the perpetrators usually contact single people via social networks and try to build an (often romantic) relationship,” said the police. The aim of these fraudsters is to emotionally influence the other person so that they pay money by feigning strong feelings. As soon as the fraud
is noticed or no more payments are made, contact will be terminated. In most cases, the perpetrators operate from abroad.
Police advise: be suspicious and do not transfer any money
As a general rule, the police advise you not to transfer money or respond to other demands from anyone you
have not met or seen in person. Especially on the Internet, fraudsters take advantage of the good faith of
those around them. “If you are asked for money online, remain suspicious and question the request critically. Confide in family members or friends and, if in doubt, contact the police,” said the spokeswoman.
Anyone who has fallen victim to such fraud should back up all chat histories, emails, etc. and file a criminal complaint with the police.