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Attorney
General Mike
DeWine
Ohioans Losing
Money to
Sweetheart Scams, DeWine Warns
(COLUMBUS,
Ohio)—With
Sweetest Day on Saturday, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is
warning Ohioans about the high cost of sweetheart scams, where a con
artist develops a relationship with a victim, usually online, before
asking the victim to send money.
Since
October 2011, the
Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section has received about
70 complaints involving these scams. The average reported loss is
more than $14,000, and the highest reported loss is $210,000.
“This
scam can be very
costly both emotionally and financially,” Attorney General DeWine
said. “Con artists can spend months developing relationships with
their victims, but eventually they’ll make up some excuse why they
need money. In these situations, if someone you’ve never met in
person asks you to send money, it’s probably a scam.”
In a
typical sweetheart
scam, the con artist meets the victim online through a dating website
or social networking site, communicating through email, instant
message, or phone.
The
scammer eventually asks
the victim to send money to help cover some type of cost, such as
airfare to visit the victim, medical expenses, or fees associated
with military leave. The scammer often asks the victim to send the
money via wire transfer. Once the money is sent, it is nearly
impossible to recover.
Attorney
General DeWine
offers consumers the following tips to protect themselves:
• Research
someone you
meet online; don’t rely on what that person tells you. Perform
Internet searches and consider getting a background check.
• Be
cautious of
individuals who claim it was destiny or fate that brought you
together.
• Talk
to friends and
family members about online relationships.
• Don’t
send money
to someone you meet online, even if you have developed a
relationship.
• Be
very skeptical of
requests for money sent via wire transfer or prepaid money cards.
These are preferred payment methods for scammers.
Consumers
who suspect a
scam should contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at
800-282-0515 or www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov.
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