This is where criminals create fake profiles on social media or dating sites and use them to try and build a personal (friendly or romantic) relationship with you. They gain your trust and then appeal to your compassionate side to ask for money, or for you to move money for them.
To protect yourself:
- Don’t send money to someone you haven’t met. The same goes for sharing bank account details and personal documents (like your driving licence or passport).
- Be suspicious if someone asks you to keep your relationship a secret. They may be trying to isolate you and stop you talking to family or friends.
- Never invest your money on their behalf or based on their advice.
- Don’t buy gift cards and then share the details with them.
- Use reverse image searches on Google to check their profile picture. This will show you if the picture is on someone else’s profile.
To learn about more scams, take a look at The Little Book of Big Scams.
