Is it your soulmate or a scam?
Looking for the love of your life just got trickier. Why? Because con artists are trying to use your heart against you! Here's the scoop from MSNBC:
You meet someone in a chat room, or dating site. You exchange pictures. You write long emails and grow closer as the months go by. Then one day, your new sweetheart has a box of candy or some flowers delivered to your door. At long last, someone worthy of your affections! Or maybe NOT. A new sort of internet crime - the sweetheart scam, is becoming increasingly popular with overseas crooks. Here's how they set up the scam:
Your online LOVE says they're out of the country working for a U.S. company. Then, after spending months building a relationship, the scammer asks for a favor: "Darling, I'm getting paid in money orders, and it's a real problem to cash them in this country so I was wondering if I could send them to you, and have you cash them and send me the money?" Of course you say YES. The only trouble is - the money orders are fake. And your bank will hold YOU liable for the funds once the fraud's discovered The scammers prey on both men and women through dating sites and chat rooms that have a specific interest like dating sites for dog lovers or vegetarians. That way it's easier to break the ice and get a relationship started. But Christian dating sites are prime targets because members tend to assume that everyone there has the same values.
So what's the fix? If you get a money order from your sweetheart, call your bank and let them know you're not sure if it's fraudulent or not. They'll put you in touch with the proper authorities. It may be hard to believe that someone who can steal your heart is REALLY out to steal your savings, but it happens. So be careful. You don't want to suffer a broken heart AND a broken bank account.