Love scams: Spare a thought for the lonely

When it comes to love, even sober-minded people throw common sense and caution to the winds.

That need for affection and to be wanted has been made worse by the two years of Covid lockdowns, where millions of people lost touch with others and began to feel increasingly isolated and alone.

That moving away from reality into an increasingly digital world has made many of the lovelorn easy targets for scammers. The Netflix documentary, The Tinder Swindler, has become a runaway hit as people voyeuristically experience the scamming of lonely women by an international trickster.

ALSO READ: Anele Mdoda finds out if ‘The Tinder Swindler’ was good in bed

But many tens of thousands of people are targeted by cons, dubbed “romance scams”, every year, their numbers skyrocketing during the Covid pandemic when lockdowns sent people flocking to the internet seeking a salve for isolation.

The US Federal Trade Commission, tracking scams reported to its Consumer Sentinel Network, said 2021 saw a record $547 million stolen in romance scams.

This marked a nearly 80% increase compared with the year before. While it can seem amusing that people can be taken in so easily, these scams are a reminder for us to think about those people we know who might be lonely… and to remind them someone real does care.