Newspaper Page Text
LIFESTYLE
THE CHAMPION, THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 8 - 14, 2024 • PAGE 13
Romance scams
leave more than
broken hearts behind
BY GALE HORTON GAY
FREELANCE REPORTER
A budding romance
can be a wonderful thing,
except when one party has
fraudulent motives.
Bad romances are
nothing new, but what is
new is the proliferation
of online romance scams
that result in victims losing
millions of dollars, suffering
emotional distress and
broken hearts.
According to the Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI),
confidence/romance scams
are a growing problem
nationwide and across all
demographics, especially
among older Americans.
The FBI's Internet
Crime Complaint Center
(IC3) noted that in 2022,
it received reports from
7,166 victims 60 and older
who experienced almost
$419 million in losses to
confidence/romance scams.
"Confidence/Romance
scams encompass those
designed to pull on a victim's
'heartstrings'.... Romance
scams occur when a criminal
adopts a fake online identity
to gain a victim's affection
and confidence. The
scammer uses the illusion
of a romantic or close
relationship to manipulate
and/or steal from the
victim," states IC3's Elder
Fraud Report 2022.
Aaron Seres, supervisory
special agent of the FBI's
white-collar unit in Georgia,
said romance/confidence
scams resulted in $735
million loss for 19,021
victims nationwide in 2022.
He noted that the scams
escalated during the COVID
isolation years when people
were homebound and online
communication increased
dramatically. A 2022 FBI
report indicates Georgia
is the top 10 of states in
internet crimes.
Seres said people 60
and older who fall victim to
internet relationship fraud
are less likely to share what's
happened to them due
to embarrassment. Some
victims have committed
suicide.
Criminals, often based
overseas in Asia, Africa,
Europe and other countries,
rely on dating apps, chat
rooms and other social
media platforms to cultivate
relationships with those
looking for friendships, love,
and companionship.
Seres said too many
people overshare while using
social media and should be
more cautious about their
personal information.
"You don't just open
your front door and say just
anyone come on in," he said.
Unlike previous scams
in which criminals quickly
pressured victims to give
them money, romance/
relationship scammers often
develop relationships over
weeks and months.
"They have a master's
degree in stringing along
individuals, building trusting
relationships," Seres said,
adding that victims are
more inclined to agree to
a financial request from
someone they feel they
know and trust.
Scammers often tell
victims money is needed for
medical treatment, travel
documents, legal problems,
etc.
Although the FBI has
made such scams one of its
priorities, getting victims
money back remains
difficult, he said.
Seres said awareness
of these scams can go a
long way in deterrence. He
advises individuals online to
never give money to anyone
they haven't met in person.
He also offers the following
advice to prevent becoming
a victim:
• Be wary of anyone online
asking an abundance
of questions and don't
overshare personal
information such as assets,
banking information, etc.
• Be aware that chat room
"friends" may not be who
they say they are and
might attempt to lure
victims into scams after
building trust.
• Be skeptical of anyone
who attempts to build a
relationship online but avoids
meeting in person.
• Look for red flags and
be proactive in asking
questions of online
acquaintances.
• Be suspicious of photos
being shared and do
internet searches to
see if images are stock
photography from online
sources.
Some con artists are so
bold they dupe victims even
after being released from
prison.
In 2022, Brian
Wedgeworth, known as
the "Casanova Scammer,"
admitted he conned his
way into the lives and
bank accounts of dozens
of women he met online,
according to various local
news reports. Wedgeworth
swindled more than 12
women in eight states of
millions of dollars after he
was released from prison
where he served time for
victimizing a Dekalb County
woman the same way,
the reports state. He was
sentenced to nine years in
prison.
Victims are not all silver
haired. Seres recalled a
40-year-old woman who
"drained her401K"for
someone with whom she
thought she was romantically
involved.
Those who fall victim to
confidence/romance scams
should immediately file a
report with the FBI's Internet
Crime Complaint Center at
ic3.gov as well as contacting
one's financial institution
and freezing one's credit,
according to Seres.
He also advised that
scammers often will attempt
to re-victimize those they
have bilked by pretending to
be with a law enforcement
agency or organization that
can help the victim get their
money back.
Seres said he prefers for
people to seek relationships
in person and advises those
who pursue romance/
friendships online to "think
twice" and proceed with "a
healthy level of skepticism."
BR00KHAVEN
Continued From Page 8
"In 2016, the city did not have any EV
charging stations. Now we have them all over
the place. They are in our parks, our public
safety buildings, and even city hall," said
Ernst.
The news release states that Brookhaven's
19 free electric chargers give the city more
registered chargers per capita than any other
city in Georgia. Brookhaven's electric vehicle
and charging station initiatives are also set
to continue in Ernst's absence through the
Sustain Brookhaven plan.
Sustainable Brookhaven requires the
city to track the usage of the public chargers
and how each charging session benefits the
environment, even calculating how many
trees are saved in the process.
Sustainable Brookhaven incorporates
initiatives regarding electric vehicles,
recycling, solar power, storm water, city
code assistance, and transportation. City
of Brookhaven also received a gold level
Green Community certification in 2024
from Atlanta Regional Commission. For
more information, visit brookhavenga.gov/
sustainablebrookhaven.
