The Interpol (International Criminal Police Organisation) warns of fraudsters targeting dating app users and attempting to trick them into investing through fake trading apps.
The warning was issued to all 194 member states as a Purple Notice after Interpol's Financial Crimes Unit has received reports of people around the world falling victim to this scam.
Such fraud attempts have become increasingly easier to pull off since a lot of people have switched to online dating and interactions since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Victims tricked into installing fake trading apps
"The threat involves taking advantage of people’s vulnerabilities as they look for potential matches, and luring them into a sophisticated fraud scheme," the Interpol said.
"In the initial stages, an artificial romance is established via a dating app. Once communication becomes regular and a certain level of trust is established, criminals share investment tips with their victims and encourage them to join a scheme."
The victims are then encouraged by the scammers to download and open an account on a trading app so that they can reach Gold or VIP status after working their way up "the investment chain."
Fraudsters coordinating this scheme also act as customer service agents for the fake investment platform "helping" victims to choose products available through sites using domains very similar to legitimate platforms.
"One day, however, all contact stops and victims are locked out of the account," the Interpol added. "They’re left confused, hurt, and worried that they’ll never see their money again."
How to protect yourself from fraud attempts
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