Gardaí in Clare are warning people to be wary of romance scams, after a man was conned into giving money to a woman he befriended online.
This type of crime involves criminals pretending to be romantically interested in a person, with the aim of gaining their trust and ultimately encouraging them to transfer funds under false pretences.
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Gardaí in Clare say a man was tricked into giving money through gift cards and Paypal to a woman he befriended on Instagram.
Garda Eimear McDonagh from Clare’s Crime Prevention Office says there are a number of warning signs that people should be on the lookout for:
- They want to communicate with you through instant messaging and texts, rather than through the dating website or chat room where you met.
- They ask a lot of questions about you but don’t tell much about themselves.
- They quickly start calling you by a pet name or use endearing terms.
- They don’t answer basic questions about where they live and work.
- Their profile picture is too perfect.
- They start asking you to send money using a number of different scenarios.
- They arrange to visit you but need money to pay travel costs.
Garda McDonagh also has a number of tips:
- Trust your instincts – if you think something feels wrong it probably is. Don’t post personal information such as phone numbers on dating sites.
- Use authentic dating websites.
- Never send money or give credit card or online account details to anyone you don’t know and trust.
- Wait until you feel comfortable with an individual before revealing your phone number, place of work or address.
- Always be mindful of what you post on the internet. It’s there for everybody to see and not just your friends.
- Beware if there are requests for inappropriate photos. These could be used for the purposes of blackmail at a later stage.
- Report unusual or abusive behaviour on websites and if you are the victim of such a scam please don’t be embarrassed to report it.
