Online dating scams often follow the same script – here’s what senior citizens should watch out for and how their younger relatives can help them avoid falling victim
Recently, we looked at how older people can avoid falling victim to various flavors of online scams. This time round, we’ll examine the costliest type of fraud to affect people 60 or older – online dating scams, also known as romance scams. According to a report by the United States’ Federal Trade Commission, this age cohort reported losing nearly $84 million to online dating scams in 2019, with losses to government impostor scams and to various types of sweepstakes and lottery fraud ‘only’ coming in second and third, respectively. The COVID-19 pandemic has since added to the problem, as online dating has exploded in popularity among people of all ages.
Indeed, older – and often lonely – people are at particular risk, including because the older generation is often trusting by nature and may not be attuned to the pitfalls that online dating platforms, or even technology as such, bring. Let’s review some common signs of romance scams, as well as how younger people can help their older relatives spot the red flags. Make no mistake, however; ..
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