Gardai have issued a stern warning to women after it emerged that so-called “romantic” scammers are tricking women in Ireland out of thousands of euro.
The scam revolves around fake relationships in which the victims are tricked to believe the fraudster loves them deeply and wants to spend the rest of their lives with them.
According to the Mirror, one woman lost €48,000 which she initially delayed reporting it to the gardai because she was married.
Detective Inspector Catharina Gunne from the Garda National Economic Bureau said:
“Romance fraudsters may try to get their victims to send them money.
“They use excuses like: to cover the cost of travelling to see the victim; for emergency medical expenses for the scammer or a family member — typically a child or a business opportunity which would allow them to live together comfortably.
“In the beginning, the amount of money requested will often be small but increases as the scammer becomes more successful in building the ‘relationship’ and tricking the victim.
“Recently, a romance fraudster in the west of Ireland was found guilty of taking nearly €19,000 from a victim. The perpetrator obtained money through deception over a five month period after meeting the victim through a dating website.”, reports the Mirror.
It’s understood that Gardai have been working with Europol in an effort to stop the activities of these romantic scammers.
Gardai have advised that people share this information with their friends.