Angling for something that’s not a “fish”. MTV reality series.
Occasionally here at Sierra Wave News, we try to keep you informed on robocalls, fake email messages and other online scams. This one, being ‘Catfished,” is not the same as being “Phished” (pronounced “Fished”), although both target unsuspecting men and women. It may be called “catfishing” but basically, it is just another way to steal money from its victims. The scam often uses online dating services and other social media (Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp,Twitter, etc.) to find victims seeking attention, companionship or love. It even “preys” on prayer groups and book clubs.
According to a press release from SocialCatfish.com, Americans lost a record $304 million in 2020, up from $201 million in 2019. Romance scams are worsening despite government warnings, an MTV reality series, an NFL victim, and someone pretending to be Bruno Mars tricking a victim out of $100,000.
Catching catfish and fishing are very different from Catfishing and Phishing!
SocialCatfish.com released a study on the Most Catfished States in 2020 using data from FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center and the FTC released in March and February of showing California was the No. 1 most catfished state in 2020 with 3,110 victims losing $120,492,182 to romance scammers
The surge in 2020 is due to COVID-19 creating unprecedented opportunity for scammers to prey on isolated and lonely victims.
Key Findings from the Study:
- 5 Most Targeted States: California (3,110 victims, $120M lost), Texas (1,602 victims, $42.1M), Florida (1,603 victims, $40.1M), Michigan (572 victims, $28.6M) and New York (1,103 victims, $26.2M).
- 5 Least Targeted States: Wyoming (44 victims, $377,214 lost), Delaware (58 victims, $488,609), South Dakota (32 victims, $585,685), North Dakota (47 victims, $600,571) and Vermont (46, $671,040)
- Record Use of Dating Apps: Dating app revenue exceeded $3 billion for the first time in 2020, creating unprecedented opportunity for scammers to prey on isolated victims during the pandemic.
5 Tips to Avoid Being Catfished:
- Never Give Money or Personal Information: Do not give anyone you meet online money, no matter the reason. Do not even give basic information which scammers use to identity fraud, get access to your banks and steal your money.
- Take Things Slow: If you like someone online, do not let them rush you. Nigerian romance scammers will be pushy about falling in love right away. If that is the case, know something is not right.
- Meet or Video Chat: Do not form a relationship with someone who will not video chat with you or meet you in person. A common scam is to say they cannot meet because they work overseas or are in the military stationed elsewhere, these are big red flags.
- Reverse Search: Scammers steal photos from good looking people on social media and pretend to be them. Use reverse search platforms that can confirm the identity of someone using a photo, email or phone number.
- Be Aware on All Platforms: Scammers are not just on dating apps, they are contacting people in 2021 on Twitter, Facebook and even LinkedIn. Be careful on all platforms.
If you believe you have been contacted by a romance scammer report it to the FTC. Also let our local police department and sheriff’s offices know as well so alerts can be continually sent out to remind the public and local news media.
And finally, while Sierra Wave wishes you the best in love and life, we hope you can do so without con artists becoming involved.
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I think “most targeted” and “least targeted” states is a misleading way to express it. Divide the number of victims in CA by the population and the same for WY and the ratios are so close that you could say both states appear to be getting targeted about equally, it’s just that there are far fewer people in the smaller states than the larger states.
Didn’t do the math on the others but a quick glance indicates that NY (50% of CA population, but only 1/3 of the victims) is getting “targeted” at a lower rate – or they’re just smarter and don’t fall for the scams as easily.
AARP has a great fraud education program and this month’s AARP newsletter is all about all types of fraud and what to do about it. Romance scams are tough because it is deliberately target the deepest emotions and the victims just don’t want to believe that they are being scammed. In all the fraud scams, those behind them are the scum of the earth and we can only wish at some point in their own lives someone does something as bad or worse to them.
LonelyInInyo,
Interesting that you mentioned AARP. I get their Bulletin and just went through the very copy of the “newsletter/Bulletin.” It’s quite good and mentions romance scams among others. There are a lot of them! It’s worth the read, so here’s the link to the main page: AARP Bulletin. Excellent information on the many types of scams today. Hope others will take the time to read it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.