Bots looking for love: How new romance scams are costing victims thousands
Norton: 59% would consider using AI as an online dating coach
(InvestigateTV) — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported the median loss to a romance scam is around $2,000.
But experts warn scam artists now using deep fakes to earn people’s trust, adding a new twist to romance scams.
David Maimon, who runs the Evidence Based Cybersecurity Group at Georgia State University in Atlanta, has been closely monitoring how fraudsters are using AI to gain people’s trust and commit fraud.
“We see many actors, both local actors but also global actors, infiltrating dating apps,” Maimon explained. “Looking for profiles on Facebook. On Tinder. On other platforms they have access to, taking the images from those profiles. Establishing fictitious profiles.”
The reported losses to romance scammers total 1.14 billion, according to the FTC,the highest reported losses for any form of imposter scam.
Melanie McGovern with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) said victims should not feel embarrassed.
“It’s interesting because romance scams are underreported,” McGovern noted. “Because a lot of times people are ashamed, they’re embarrassed. They don’t want to talk about it because it’s so emotional.”
She said if someone online starts turning romantic conversations into discussions over their hardship and need for money, that’s a sign to delete the contact and move on. The BBB is watching the emergence of AI as well.
“Anything we put out there can be used in some way, so it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on what you’re doing online, what your privacy settings on social media accounts, because your voice could be cloned, your photo could be cloned. Video could be used!” McGovern said.
She shared two important tips to help users protect themselves from romance scams:
Never send money, crypto, gift cards or wire transfers to someone never met in person.
Do a reverse image search to make sure images are not associated with another name.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has additional tips on how to avoid romance scams.
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