Most people know that there are scammers out there who will do whatever it takes to make a quick buck. Many people also know that the internet is full of these types of scammers. People are repeatedly warned about email and internet scams, but it is often difficult to detect that you are being scammed when it is actually happening to you. This is especially true if you let your guard down and appear vulnerable. This happens a lot with senior citizens and those who generally believe in the good in people.
To show that internet scams and online dating fraud is prevalent among users, the City of London Police and Action Fraud released statistics that indicate the city’s residents were scammed out of over $50 million last year.
Last year, 3,545 people reported to law enforcement that they were victims of data fraud. The total money lost was simply staggering. And more often than not, the fraud victims were left without recourse, as it was almost impossible to catch the fraudsters.
The City of London Police released a statement that, “Dating fraudsters are often particularly convincing and if the person also thinks that they have already been vetted by the dating website, it makes it even easier for the fraudster to manipulate their victim.”
Moreover, Commander Chris Greany, the police’s National Coordinator for Economic Crimes said that, “There are a number of misconceptions around fraud and cyber crime which often leave people vulnerable.”
Greany further added that releasing these statistics and other information about online fraud “will help to shatter these misconceptions and provide the public with a clearer picture, helping them to challenge possible urban myths and stop fraudsters in their tracks. The more information people have about the reality of fraud and cybercrime, the easier it will be to stop it from taking place.”
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