Making Cents: Online daters can risk more than just their heart

While love was in the air earlier this month, An Garda Síochána has warned daters of the potential dangers of looking for love online.

Gardaí reported a case of one Irish woman who lost €62,000 in a case of romantic fraud, and that figure pales in comparison to some cases that have been reported internationally.

These aren’t rare or isolated incidents — Gardaí saw at least 75 cases last year alone.

According to IT security and cybercrime analyst Urban Schrott of ESET Ireland, this may just be the tip of the iceberg.

“It still doesn’t show the true extent of the problem, as many victims are too embarrassed to come forward,” he says.

With internet dating continuing to grow in popularity, Mr Schrott wants to help daters stay safe. So what are some of the telltale signs that your online crush could be a scammer?

“Scammers tend to use stock images of models, who may be styled to sell a specific product,” he says.

“Photos of them posing with beverages and electronics may feel staged and unnatural, because indeed they are.

If you already suspect something, request a family photo — they will have a hard time producing one since the model they’re impersonating may have not shot a family-themed campaign.

However, this won’t work if the scammers have stolen pictures of real people, which can happen.

“You can perform a quick check by reverse searching the photos on Google Images,” Mr Schrott suggests. “Go to the Google images website, click on the camera icon and either drag and drop the photo’s URL there, or the photo itself.

Love at first sight may sound romantic, but Mr Schrott says early expressions of devotion should be taken as a warning flag.

Scammers will try to advance the relationship as fast as possible to make you feel wanted, softening you up with serenades to reach their ultimate goal — your wallet.

Taking the conversation to email or text is another tactic of fraudsters.

“Dating platforms have ways to detect scammers besides the reporting feature,” says Mr Schrott. “In order to avoid triggering these mechanisms, scammers try to coax you into sharing your phone number or email or IM handle. At this point you’re already surrendering too much personal information; to a person you virtually don’t know at all.

“If they ask you to switch to another channel of communication too soon, then be wary and report them. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

But the major flag, of course, is they are unable to meet in person.

“Scammers love to take on the identities of professionals that inspire trust, but often have to work abroad for extended periods of time, such as members of the military, aid workers, or diplomats. These provide them with excuses that don’t raise eyebrows in the context of their profession such as ‘I’m getting deployed’ or ‘I have to fly off to an urgent meeting’.

“As the courtship goes on, you may want to meet your online crush in person. But every time you try to schedule a meeting, they come up with an excuse why they just can’t make it, even if you try to meet them halfway.

Cancelling a few times is normal, but if they shoot down every date you suggest, then you should be suspicious.

At some point, the fraudster will start looking for money.

“Usually, they will start small, asking for help to pay for a car repair or to buy medicine, anything that doesn’t set off your internal fraud alarm. But as time goes by, they will steadily increase the amount that they need, often feeding you a sob story about how they need it to help pay medical bills for a sick relative.”

No matter how strong your own feelings have become, stop and think about sending money to someone you have never met, he warns.

Relationships are built on trust — but if one starts off on a dating site or app you should always try to verify as much as possible and not blindly trust what your new-found love says.

Deal of the week

If home security is a priority for you, a special offer going on sale in Aldi on Thursday may be of interest.

The German retailer is offering a whole range of security solutions for sale, but the most eye-catching item is the mobile compatible Home CCTV Kit.

Aldi says the easy-to-install 1080p HD CCTV kit for €179.99 will make sure your home is protected.

The kit includes four cameras — two bullet and two dome 1080p cameras — suitable for indoor and outdoor use (IP66 rated).

Other features include night vision, set-and-forget recording. Owners can record continuously for up to 60 days on a pre-installed 1TB hard drive.

Householders can view remotely from a compatible smartphone or tablet via 3G/4G using a free iOS/ Android app.

The infrared vision records in low light up to approximately 20m and it includes a three-year warranty.