Romance

In 2024, romance scams represented the third highest dollar loss in Canada. These scams prey on vulnerable people on dating and social platforms. They then manipulate and entice these vulnerable people to enter a virtual relationship. 

Means of contact

• Email
• Text
• Internet

Description of scam
Scammers create fake profiles on social media and dating sites to target trusting people who they then manipulate. The game is to win over the trust and affection of the victim so they will drop their guard. Once this happens, it's an opening to begin the next stage. 

Tactics used
Romance scammers will request money for things like travel, to help solve an “emergency,” medical expenses, or for family assistance. They can also request you receive money on their behalf from questionable or unknown sources, or increasingly in cryptocurrency investments. 
 

Variation of scam
Once the romance scam is over, the original scammer resurfaces months later pretending to be law enforcement or an attorney. They claim to be investigating the scammer who targeted the victim and get the victims hopes up to recover their lost funds. The catch is a fabricated “legal fee,” often around $3,000. The reality is, that the same scammer is running another scam, typically about 3 - 6 months after the initial scam, when victims may still be hoping for restitution.


Additional information
Read our Fraud Files article for a real-life example of this scam.