With Valentines Day coming up, the OPP want to make sure you protect yourself from this online scam.
Love scams involve a scammer meeting someone online and posing as a love interest. Over time they gain the person’s trust and eventually scam them out of money. They ask for the money in some cases so they can travel to meet the person. Bancroft OPP Constable Philippe Regamey says that should be a big warning sign that this is a scam.
Regamey says one way to combat this scam is to ask for pictures often. It’s important to know who you are talking to, he says.
“They feel so embarrassed that they may not report it,” Bancroft OPP Constable Philippe Regamey says. He adds though that it’s important to report it, especially if you have been scammed out of money. In that case, he says to call the local police. If no money has been involved, he says to report the scam to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. You can reach that Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.