WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Romance scams cost Americans more than $200 million in 2019, which is nearly 40 percent more than what they lost in the previous year. This was revealed by the Federal Trade Commission based on data from the agency's Consumer Sentinel Network.
In 2019, more than 25,000 consumers filed a report with the FTC about romance scams.
Over the past two years, total reported losses to romance scams were higher than any other scam reported to the FTC.
Romance scammers prey on consumers who are looking for love, converting what feels like a budding relationship into an ask for money to help the scammer get out of some manufactured crisis. 'The stories and feelings can be compelling, and the losses can be huge,' FTC said in a new blog post.
It reveals more information about the scams, including tips for recognizing a romance scam, along with a new info-graphic highlighting the latest data.
FTC opened a romance scam page on its official website educating the consumers about potential risks involved in the relatively new fraudulent method of cheating and extortion by luring thousands of potential victims.
FTC has published complaint data at ftc.gov/exploredata, and said consumers can file a complaint about Romance scams at ftc.gov/complaint.
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