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Category: Non-Local News Releases Non-Local News Releases
Published: 10 February 2020 10 February 2020

Valentine’s Day and other opportunities for romance can be exciting, but they can also lead to heartbreak, embarrassment, and financial loss if you’re not careful. 

Criminals search dating sites, apps, chat rooms, and other social media networking sites attempting to build “relationships” for the sole purpose of getting your money or your personally identifiable information.

Romance scams, also called confidence fraud, affected 114 victims in New Mexico in 2019 for a loss of more than $1.6 million, according to the FBI’s Internet Crimes Complaint Center.

To avoid becoming a victim, the FBI Albuquerque Division recommends the following:

Victims may be hesitant to report being taken advantage of due to embarrassment, shame or humiliation. It’s important to remember, romance scams can happen to anyone at any time.

If you suspect your online relationship is a scam, cease all contact immediately. If you are a victim who has already sent money, immediately report the incident to your financial institution, file a complaint with the Internet Crimes Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov), and contact law enforcement.