Hot date or hot scam?

Technology has disrupted many aspects of traditional life, including meeting people, socialising and dating.

When you are sitting at dinner and see a couple going out on a ‘first date’, consider that this may be their first in-person date and that they may have been interacting (dating) online for months.

Online dating is good news for nervous daters, but be aware of a darker side to online dating, warns Nazia Karrim, head of product development at the Southern African Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS).

There are a lot of romance scams targeting potential victims.

According to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) statistics, the value of romance and business email scams in 2022 amounted to R125-million.

This is a growing problem, according to the SAFPS.

“Many South Africans felt a deep sense of loneliness during their Covid isolation, particularly those who had to endure it alone. Longing for human connection, people turned to online dating platforms as it was a way to interact and seek a release from the anxiety they were feeling,” said Karrim.

“Scammers will become very interested in your life and interests, while being vague about theirs. Once trust has been established and romantic emotions have developed, scammers typically present their victims with a sad tale intended to pull on their heartstrings.”

Karrim said it is important to note that romance scams are not the only way people are being swindled out of their hard-earned money, but that the SAFPS has noticed that romance scams are increasingly used as a gateway to run other scams.

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