ONTARIO-Unfortunately, love often has nothing to do with it. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre every year around Valentine’s Day, fraudsters are on the lookout for unsuspecting victims.
The Anti-Fraud Centre encourages people to watch out for these warning signs:
- Profiles that seem too perfect,
- Someone you haven’t met in person professes their love to you,
- A suspect that tries to move communication to a more private or different method of communication (email, text, social media platform, etc.),
- Any attempts to meet in person get cancelled or there’s always an excuse to not meet-up,
- A person who discourages you from talking about them to friends and family,
- A suspect acting distressed or angry to force you into sending more money,
- Poorly written messages or messages addressed to the wrong name,
- An individual who “introduces” you to their family on social media to legitimize the relationship, or
- Unsolicited text messages from phone numbers you don’t recognize.
- Get rich quick investment opportunities.
- Be wary of individuals met on dating sites or social media who attempt to educate and convince you to invest into crypto currency.
Learn more about protecting yourself: https://peterboroughpolice.com/fraud