UK Embassy warns Pinoys vs. online 'romance scams' In this "love month," the United Kingdom is warning Filipinos against falling for online overseas romance scams. An article posted on the UK Embassy website on Wednesday warned about a "real risk" of becoming a victim of "romance fraud" especially if one chats wtih another person online. "Dating or romance fraud is when you think you’ve met your perfect partner online or while abroad, but they aren’t who they say they are. Once they’ve gained your trust, they ask for money for a variety of emotive reasons," the embassy said. The embassy posted a sample of an email with clues indicating a scam: • poor English, or at times, the use of "text speak;" • use of "pet names" or terms of endearment such as: "Dearest darling" • use of identities of professionals (usually Army officers, lawyers or doctors) • promise of great wealth • use of money transfer agents in sending money • wanting to chat outside the security of the dating website • claiming to work in the Army or oil industry in Iraq or Afghanistan • providing photos of very attractive people, most likely downloaded from the Internet • stories about an alleged accident and claiming that they are in urgent need of money • claiming to have large amounts of cash or gold The embassy gave tips on how to avoid becoming a victim: • Look for the clues that their request may not be real. • Do not share compromising or embarassing photographs as they can be used to blackmail you. • Be vigilant because fraudsters often change their approach. • Seek the advice of a family member or friend when you are in any doubt. • Chat only within a dating website's monitored area. • Do not use personal email addresses to communicate when you are not yet sure about the character of the person you are chatting with. • Be suspicious when the other person asks for money. Do not send money, no matter how persuasive the other person is. • Keep a record of your correspondence. • Do not give out personal or financial details because fraudsters may use these for identity theft. • Do not allow other people to use your bank account. Fraudsters may use your account for money laundering. • Do not trust what may seem to be a United Kingdom address or phone number Source:- http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/stor...-embassy-warns-pinoys-vs-online-romance-scams
Good advice. It's another sign and symptom of the times in this technological age of anonymity. These online 'Romance Scams' are much more common than most people realise.
