telegraph article -news tricks and schemes of scammers
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2015 8:14 am
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Online dating scams: new tricks that fleece victims of an average '£9,589'
A 60-year-old's tale of losing £60,000 through an online dating scam is a stark warning to others
Singletons sign up to online dating sites in the hope of finding love, but they are increasingly being targeted by fraudsters.
Someone you have started to develop a relationship with online might first ask for money for travel costs, or say they have lost their plane ticket so need to borrow some cash for a new one. They might say a family member is ill and they need funds for urgent medical treatment.
According to recent figures, these requests for cash appear to be working. There were 651 dating scams reported in the three months to August this year, with the average victim paying out £9,589. In July, the average payout was as high as £10,882.
With one in four British adults using a dating website at some point in their life, according to Which?, users are being warned to be vigilant while online, particularly as the fraudster's tactics are becoming more elaborate.
