Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has issued a warning to residents to remain vigilant against romance scams, especially with Valentine's Day approaching. These scams often involve individuals posing as potential romantic partners to exploit unsuspecting victims for money or personal information.
"While online dating may seem like an easy way to find love, it doesn’t always end well," said Attorney General Rokita. "We see cases of goodhearted people who truly believe they’re connecting with a genuine person and then get taken advantage of by scammers. Don’t let this happen to you or your loved ones this Valentine’s Day."
Romance scams typically involve scammers creating fake profiles to deceive victims. They use these profiles to build trust and eventually manipulate victims into sending gifts, money, or sharing sensitive information.
Several warning signs can indicate that someone might be more interested in financial gain than a relationship:
- The individual sends unrealistic photos resembling fashion magazine models.
- The relationship progresses quickly, with declarations of love soon after meeting.
- Attempts are made to isolate the victim from friends and family.
- Requests for inappropriate photos or financial details are made.
- The person avoids meeting in person or communicating via video calls.
- There are requests for money under various pretexts such as travel expenses, medical costs, or business investments.
- Payment is requested through hard-to-recover methods like wire transfers, preloaded gift cards, cryptocurrency, or money transfer apps.
Attorney General Rokita encourages anyone suspecting a scam to file a complaint at indianaconsumer.com or contact his office at 1-800-382-5516.
A headshot of Attorney General Rokita is available for download.