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Romance Scam

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Scam Prevention Tips

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LightfromDarkness
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Scam Prevention Tips

Postby LightfromDarkness » Wed Aug 25, 2021 3:30 am

I barely got out of a scam recently, so I thought I would come up with some scam prevention tips. Hopefully they can help anyone else who may be in this situation, who may be questioning and wondering if he or she is dealing with a scam, and how to get out if he or she is in one.

The things that helped me were stuff I did by accident, but now I'm taking it with me as future prevention knowledge!

First, always do your research if someone you don't know contacts you suddenly on a social media or dating platform. In my case, I got contacted on Tumblr by a profile that seemed legitimate. But when I did my research on the story I was told about this person being an orthopedic surgeon working for the United Nations, I found that other people who were scammed heard the same story. By recognizing similar stories that scammers tell their victims, you can see if someone is leading you on with a false story. Most scammers use the same, or very similar stories, so they can repeat a lot.

If you want to be even more careful, you can block all the profiles that you don't personally know on your social media.

Second, question question question. ;) Don't be afraid to question the stories that you are hearing. It can be hard, because scam victims often have deeply compassionate and empathetic hearts, so we tend to believe it when someone tells us a sob story. But if details in the story aren't adding up, don't be afraid to privately question and do your own research, as I did when I dealt with my own scammer. In my case, I found the scammer was lying about the military and how things work over there, so his pleas for money were part of the scam, not a genuine problem.

Third, please, don't ever send money to someone you don't know online, particularly if the person asks you for money through wire transfers, gift cards, Coinbase, Cash app, Steam Cards, or iTunes gift cards. All of these forms of sending money are untraceable, which means that if you lose your money to a scammer, there's really no way of getting it back. It seems that lately the iTunes gift card is particularly popular for scammers. Don't ever scratch off the back and send a picture of the card with its pin number to someone. That's not how the cards are supposed to be used, and you have proof that you are dealing with a scammer if someone is trying to force you to send him money in that way.

Also, don't give your bank details to someone online that you don't know and trust. I almost did this, but fortunately I stopped the scam in time.

Don't receive money from someone you don't know and trust online, either. Sometimes a scammer will send the victim stolen money or illegal funds that came from criminal activities. If the victim accepts the stolen money in his or her bank account, the victim is an accomplice in money laundering! This can cause the victim to go to jail.

Fourth, don't be afraid to slow down. The scammer was putting immense pressure on me to hurry and get the iTunes gift cards. I felt the situation was so urgent, since he claimed he needed these cards to help his kids. I almost rushed all the way to the store to get them, but luckily I fell sick before I could do it. But that moment where I got sick and had to slow down was the moment of truth. In that moment, I had enough time to collect my thoughts and start questioning the scammer, and then I realized he wasn't telling me the truth about anything. Having a moment to slow down, and be alone with your thoughts, can be really helpful when a scammer is trying to rush you into making a bad decision.

Fifth, don't directly question the scammer. I made the mistake of questioning the scammer, but it was only because I was realizing it was a scam in real time. If I'd known beforehand that I was dealing with a scammer, I would have just blocked him. It's better to just block the scammer and not let him know you've figured him out. It stops the drama and trouble that can come when a scammer gets upset and realizes he's failed. Also, you don't give him any information that he can use to improve his future scams.

Sixth, if you suspect you are dealing with a scammer, please don't hang onto him, even if he professes his romantic love for you and insists he's honest. Scammers lie all the time to get what they want - money. So block him no matter what sweet words he uses, and make sure you don't contact him in the future. Use strict measures of no contact, ignore him, block him completely, and you will recover. Staying in touch with the scammer only prolongs the pain and makes it more likely that you will lose more money.

Seventh, be wary of anyone who instantly says he is in love with you, especially after only a few days or weeks. Real bonds of love usually take some time to form. In the back of my mind, I knew the relationship between me and my scammer was progressing way too quickly, since I'd read about love bombing. I even tried to slow the relationship down by remaining friends and not wanting to be more than a sister to him, but he was so convincing, I ended up falling in love with the fake image he presented to me. So watch out if someone tries to love bomb you and say, "You're the love of my life," when he barely knows you. Sometimes love at first sight happens, but it's not common, and if he's asking for money, that's a scammer's romance scam, not real love.

Eighth, be a prude. :D Don't send any intimate or explicit photos to anyone online that you don't know and trust. Scammers may try to blackmail you with intimate pictures, and even though a lot of times these are empty threats, it's best to stay on the safe side, and never send intimate photos of yourself to someone who you suspect is a scammer.

Ninth, understand that people can be scammed no matter who they are - you are not a fool if you are a target or victim of a scam. In my case, I was in a vulnerable time in my life, and the scammer promised me a new life, away from the abuse I have dealt with. We all have our triggers or vulnerabilities, and scammers know just how to target them. No matter how intelligent you are, you can become a victim of a scam, because scammers are trained professionals at what they do. By being aware of this, you won't think, "Oh, it can never happen to me," because you understand we all have human vulnerabilities, and the best we can do is educate ourselves to prevent scams from happening.

I hope this is helpful! It's good to give information that can help others and prevent some of these scams from happening.

Scam Prevention Tips

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