Opp Warn of Romance and Investment Scams

Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love for many people, but also a painful reminder of the Emotional and Financial Losses Felt by victim of Romance and Investment Fraud.

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The Canadian Anti-Fraud Center Released Statistics That Show Canadians Reported Losing More Than $ 58.4 Million to Romance Fraud, and $ 310 million to Investment Fraud in 2024. A System to Record Losses in Specific Areas Like Brant, Haldimand, and Norfolk Counties is Still in Development .

“With Crypto Currency Investment Frauds, The Victim Will Be Sought after in the way romance fraudsters do, hooking them into an investment opportunity,” Said det.-const. John Armit of the OPP Anti-Raracted Branch Based in Ottawa. “In Woman I Just Spoke to Laval (Quebec) Lost $ 400,000. She is a single mom with three girls who put a man on the hinge platform, then moved the conversations to whatsapp. He appeared to be very mature, Trustworthy, Responsible and Loyal. His Approach Seduced Her, She Said, and Soon After He Started Talking About Investments in Gold and Futures Markets. ”

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Armit Retrred to the Operation Shamrock Website That Describes these types of scams with the controversial term Pig Butchering,

“In the context of scams, this metaphor describes How Victim are treated like pigs being fattened up being slaughtered,” Said Information on the Organization’s website. “Scammers Fatten Their Targets by Building Trust, Grooming Them Emotionally, encourage them to invest in the Instant of money before butchering them by stealing all their funds.

Armit Explained That Compounds in Southeast Asia House Thousands of People who Are Human Trafficked Into A Workforce That is focused on stealing money through fraud.

“This is sophisticated, Organized Crime Around the World, and in Canada,” Naded the Armit, Who Recently Helped Recover $ 225,000 for a Toronto Victim That Had feel $ 355,000 to Nigeria in a romance scam.

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“It took three years to get the money back from Nigeria, but that was only because the nigerian authorities had arrested the fraudster and loked into his phone where they could see he had been communicating with the Toronto Victim. They were able to sixte the crypto right from his wallet. But that was a one-off, good luck. ”

In Recent Years, Area Residents Have Lost Large Sums of Money through Romance Scams, included:

• A Norfolk County Resident Lost $ 400,000 AS The Result of An Online Relationship from June 2022 to January 2024 when Several Appeals were made for Financial Assistance in Both Business Endeavours and Personal Emergencies. The Main Means of Support Was Through Apple Gift Cards.

• In May of 2024, a customer feels $ 100,000 to someone Impersonating A Business Owner in St. George Requesting Payment to a New Account Number.

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• A Haldimand County Resident Lost $ 140,000 After Investing in A Cryptocurrency Scam That Toutd Great Returns On Funds Invested from January to March of 2023.

• A 25-YEAR-OLD from Thunder BAY WAS ARRESTED After Being Accused of Defrauding A 76-YEAR-OLD Branty Resident of About $ 18,000 in A Romance Scam in 2022.

• A Norfolk County Resident Lost $ 200,000 in a lengthy romance scam from November 2021 to January 2023.

• In March 2022 a Norfolk Resident Reported A Loss of $ 250,000 Following A Year-Long Online Relationship.

• During a Four-Month Period in 2019, Another Norfolk Resident feels $ 300,000 to a scammer.

Romance schemes usually involve fake profiles on social media, email, and dating apps, where victim receive unnsolicited messages. Once Trust has been established, Requests are made to participate in business ventures or cryptocurrency investments. Targets are also asked to send money for an urgent matter such as a medical emergency or family assistance, or to help receive money that in fact in the victim as part of criminal money laundering.

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AMRIT SAID RED FLAGS TO WATCH FOR INCLUDE SOEONE THAT YOU’VE NEVER MET IN PERSON DECLARING Their Love Very Early in A relationships; Making apologies to not meet in Person; Oddly Worded or Poorly Written Messages, and attempts to discourage the Victim from Sharing Details of the Relationship from Family Members who May Express their concerns.

If you Believe You Are A Victim of Fraud, Contact Your Local Police, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center at 1-888-495-8501 or through ther online reporting center.

The CAFC ALSO PROVIDS Resources on What to do if the a victim of fraud.

[email protected]

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