AMERICANS collectively lost more than US$1 billion to romance fraud in 2021, according to a news release from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Romance scams, along with other forms of online crimes, have reportedly been on the rise since the beginning of the pandemic, with lockdowns encouraging Americans to spend more time interacting with others online.

Scammers can target anyone, the FBI says, but their favorite targets are women over the age of 40 who are elderly, widowed, divorced and/or disabled.

A study by Malwarebytes says those who are not as “digitally educated,” or have weak access to digital education, are usually the victims of cybercrime. This apparently includes women, minorities, and the elderly.

The FBI says romance scams involve perpetrators contacting and forming online relationships with victims, often adopting a fake identity and using fake photos to gain victims’ trust and affection. Once the scammer feels confident enough to do so, the FBI says they will usually ask for cash.

But some scammers will go a step further, the FBI warns. Some will want more than money.

Romance scams, which fall under the “social engineering” category, are reportedly among the most common of web crimes. Europol says phishing attacks and social engineering are the two most common online scams.

(SD-Agencies)