Masters in the art of manipulation, scammers use social networks and online dating sites to trick their victims into feigned relationships to get money from them under a variety of pretexts. They usually live in another country or province and
let the long-distance relationship build over a period of several months. The victims, both men and women, are convinced they are in a real relationship. Before they have a chance to meet, an unexpected event occurs such as an accident, illness of a
family member, lack of funds to travel to meet in person, or trouble with the law, generating a request for money. More and more requests for money follow.
Victims often lose their life savings and have to live with the grief and embarrassment that the relationship they believed in was a scam.
In 2017, dating and romance scams cost Canadians $22.5 million.
To learn more, read the article Dating scams: when love comes at a price.