FBI Omaha warns of ‘romance schemes’ on Valentine’s Day after $700 million loss
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — In 2022, more than 19,000 victims of romance fraud reported over $700 million in losses, FBI Omaha reports.
FBI Omaha Special Agent Eugene Kowel says that scammers target online sites, dating apps and social media.
“I can tell you romance fraud quite simply is when scammers and criminals target and try to take advantage of people looking for companionship and con them out of their money,” Kowel said.
He says criminals lure targets by professing their love to them with poetry, gifts, flowers and more.
“The scammers don’t discriminate, but most commonly, they will try to target people who appear to be divorced widowed, elderly or disabled,” Kowel said.
The schemes range from money laundering to cryptocurrency enticements, all of which aim to drain your finances.
“We’ve seen victims who sent their life savings or retirement funds or pension funds, sometimes we can get that back,” Kowel said. “But it’s very dependent on how quickly we’re notified.”
