augusta, Ga. (WFXG) - WITH VALENTINES DAY AROUND THE CORNER, YOU MIGHT BE LOOKING TO THE INTERNET TO FIND LOVE. UNFORTUNATELY, SOMETIMES THERE’S A PRICE TO PAY for love. So. WHAT should you DO AFTER YOU’VE SWIPED RIGHT TO ENSURE YOU DON’T BECOME A VICTIM?

IT’S NOT A NEW TACTIC. BUT, THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU SAYS SINCE THE PANDEMIc scam NUMBERS HAVE INCREASED THROUGH THE ROOF. SINCE IT’S EASIER THAN EVER TO FIND PEOPLE ONLINE, IT’S ALSO EASIER THAN EVER TO FALL FOR A ROMANCE SCAM.

JASON BLANKENSHIP WITH THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU SAYS WITH LIMITED WAYS TO MEET PEOPLE, MANY TURN TO ONLINE DATING. "THIS SCAM ONLY WORKS IF PEOPLE ARE LONELY AND UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE A LOT OF LONELY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.”

IN 2021, THEY RECEIVED 276 REPORTS ACROSS NORTH AMERICA ON ROMANCE SCAMS. in 2022, THAT NUMBER DOUBLED IN THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OF THE YEAR ALONE.

CON ARTISTS TARGET PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND ON A VARIETY OF APPS. INVESTING THE MOST TIME AND DOING THE MOST DAMAGE: “IT’S NOT ONLY FINANCIALLY, IT’S EMOTIONALLY AND I’VE SEEN THEM LEAVE VICTIMS DEVASTATED,” says Blankenship.

ONCE THE RELATIONSHIP IS FORMED AND IT’S TIME TO MEET, THEY WILL CLAIM TO NEED MONEY. BUT BLANKENSHIP WARNS, IF THEY ASK FOR MONEY OR A WEIRD PAYMENT METHOD, IT’S BEST TO WALK AWAY.

IF SOMETHING SEEMS FISHY, DO YOUR RESEARCH. “KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT THEM AND DON’T JUST TRY IT ON THAT ONE APP, SEE IF IT MATCHES ANYWHERE ELSE. SEE IF IT MATCHES ANYWHERE ELSE, DO A REVERSE IMAGE SEARCH IN GOOGLE TO SEE IF SOMEONE IS WHAT WE CALL, CATFISHING YOU.”

THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU ALSO ADVISES ASKING SPECIFIC QUESTIONS AND PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO things like GRAMMAR in message exchanges. Blankenship says it cOULD BE SIGNS A SCAMMER IN A DIFFERENT COUNTRY IS COMMUNICATING WITH YOU USING A TRANSLATION device of some sort.

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