Post-2019, due to the coronavirus, practically everything has been turned into a digital platform, moreover, the time slot where people lost their jobs and were confined in their homes, not working, at leisure, and unoccupied, started moving towards more technological applications. Thus, it also causes an immense increase in people connecting, attaching, and falling in love online. The damage to mental health and society’s integrity was greatly affected due to the increase in frauds and embezzlement, breaking the code of ethical practice.
The increasing reports of cyberbullying and blackmailing, particularly due to the online dating scam trap, filled the news reports and complaint centers with an excess of screams of cry and help. The reports show the increase in online dating, and dating scams, from 6000+ to 8500+ in the UK alone post covid, many survival had to even suffer through immense torture given to them by the scammer who later turned into a psycho criminal.
Get Insights From The Claimers on All Types of Scams & Their Rapid Rise
A story of a 50-year-old finance professor named Anna who got into an online relationship pre-covid and was immensely involved emotionally as well as psychologically. He initially built trust by showing her his love, pampering her, and consoling her after an abusive marriage she had suffered. The indication of a scammer mentioned on the claimer website, includes the scammer never showing up when it comes to meeting one-to-one. Likewise, on Anna’s online date, Andrew always made excuses when they planned to meet. Andrew informed Anna about his business crisis in which he would have to travel to France, leading to their meet-up being canceled and his secret being hidden. Later, as mentioned on the claimer’s website, Andrew misused his emotions and sentiments toward Anna, coming up with the reasons he needed money for. Anna fell into his trap and would always volunteer to assist him. For instance, initially, he stated that his daughter is extremely sick and medical expenses are out of his range. Anna met the end and provided money for the treatment of his daughter.
The image of a perfect man, which is worth all the compromises and struggle, made Anna go blind when it came to Andrew. Taking advantage of it, Andrew, after a couple of months, made up a new story of him being threatened, beaten, and traumatized by the loan shark. He would send pictures of his broken arms, broken windows – the damages caused by the made-up loan shark, and Anna would believe it. In the following days, Anna contacted an agency to assist Andrew and that woman told Anna that the picture he was sent was of a celebrity, which Anna did not believe because Andrew deprived her of the sight of his love, the fake one. She continued supporting and protecting him and ended up losing $350,000, along with the relationship. He ran away taking the money, leaving Anna completely devastated and emotionally destabilized. Thus, the influence of scammers wearing the mask of love makes the victim completely in control of them.
The Tinder Swindler
A documentary film produced by Netflix and directed by Felicity Morris tells the true story of romance scammer Simon Leviev who scammed multiple women over a course of years and almost got away with it. This is the impact of romance scams that there are movies being made on this topic in order to educate the public.
Stay Safe & Free From Online Dating Scams
Educate yourself more on the topic of online dating scams through numerous insightful and interesting case studies available on the Claimers website. Their database has so much information – all aided towards raising awareness about various types of scams and how to protect yourself from them.
