Romance scams cost consumers a record $304 million as more people searched for love online during the pandemic  Daniel Acker/Bloomberg News | Pandemic loneliness pushed many Americans online in search of a love connection. But a surge in romance scams often left them with an empty bank account as well as a broken heart. For the past three years, people have reported losing more money on romance scams than on any other type of fraud, according to the FTC's Consumer Sentinel Database. Last year, the reported losses for romance fraud reached a record $304 million, up about 50 percent from 2019. And many of those losses were reported by older people. Adults 60 and older reported losing about $139 million to romance scams in 2020, a new report from the FTC finds. That's a significant increase from the $84 million seniors lost to such scams in 2019. It's important to note this is only what people reported to authorities. In this loathsome scheme, con artists use fake dating profiles to impersonate people looking for romantic relationships. The contact could also start as a friend request or message on a social media platform. The criminals ultimately persuade their victims to send them money via gift cards or wire transfers. Before covid, schemers made up all kinds of reasons not to meet in person, and the repeated cancellations could alert some people that they were being bamboozled. But the pandemic gave criminals cover. Guidelines on social distancing provided a plausible excuse to keep the relationship online and avoid meeting in-person. "What scammers do in a romance scam is they make up reasons why they can't meet their supposed love in person," says Kati Daffan, an assistant director in the Federal Trade Commission's division of marketing practices. The pandemic inspired new twists to the stories that scammers typically use to defraud their victims. "People reported that their so-called suitor said that he couldn't travel because of the pandemic or canceled a date because of a supposed positive covid-19 test," Daffan said. "Nobody should feel ashamed of coming forward to tell their story if this happened to them because scammers are incredible about coming up with believable stories." The FTC's analysis is based on self-reported data from consumers. The FBI estimated in its annual Internet crime report that more than 23,000 people lost more than $600 million in confidence fraud, including romance scams, last year. This is up from $475 million in 2019. These numbers don't surprise Kathy Stokes, director of AARP Fraud Prevention Programs. She also runs AARP's Fraud Watch Network. Many people are still isolated because of the pandemic. They are lonely and, in the case of a widow or widower, grieving. This makes them more vulnerable and susceptible to being generous. "The pandemic may have driven more people online, whether it was to a dating app or a dating website, or to just engage more in social media or online games," Stokes said. The problem is the scam can go on for months or years, draining people's life savings. "And we're not talking just about $1,000 or $10,000," Stokes said. "We had victims call the helpline who have lost half a million dollars. Once they realize that it has been a scam, they are devastated financially and emotionally. And we hear from families where these poor victims end up dying by suicide." We need to recognize this isn't about people being simply gullible. These scammers are super-sophisticated and organized. "It's not the guy in his mom's basement making a call one at a time, trying to find somebody to get over on," Stokes said. "It's criminal enterprises, often transnational." An Oklahoma man was sentenced last month to four years in prison for managing a group of money launderers in an online Nigerian romance scam that stole at least $2.5 million from many victims, including elderly individuals across the United States, according to the Justice Department. In Texas, 11 suspects have been charged with targeting widowed and divorced seniors on dating sites such as Match.com, Christian Mingle, JSwipe, and PlentyofFish. The criminals concoct sob stories of needing funds to pay taxes, cover travel costs or pay down debt. In the Texas case, the suspects siphoned tens of thousands of dollars at a time from victims' accounts, the Justice Department said. There's a lot of outreach to get the message out about scams, especially romance scams. Many victims are often too embarrassed to come forward and admit they were hoodwinked. The FTC's Pass it On campaign provides fraud prevention materials and resources. Share the information with anyone you know who could be a target. AARP has resources at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork. If you know a friend or relative is talking to someone online, pry. Daffan suggests doing a reverse image search, because often the scammers will copy someone's photo as part of a dating profile or pretend to be a real person with a presence online. Scams fall into the category of "see something, say something." This is a warning for those of you who love someone who is looking for love. Do what you can to help them avoid losing their heart along with their money. Reader Question of the Week If you have a personal finance or retirement question, send it to colorofmoney@washpost.com. In the subject line, put "Question of the Week." Please note that questions may be edited for clarity. Q: I'm divorced and didn't earn much money during my working career because I was a stay-at-home parent. Can I collect Social Security based on my ex-spouse's earnings? A: If you're divorced and were married at least 10 years, you may be eligible to receive benefits based on your ex's Social Security record. Your ex, of course, must be entitled to Social Security retirement or disability benefits. You can apply for benefits on your former spouse's record even if he or she hasn't retired. However, you must have been divorced at least two years before applying. You also must be 62 and cannot be currently married. It's important to note that you must earn at least 40 Social Security credits to qualify for Social Security benefits. You earn Social Security credits when you work and pay Social Security taxes. "If you're entitled to benefits on your own record, your benefit amount must be less than you would receive based on your ex-spouse's work," according to the Social Security Administration. "If, however, you decide to wait until full retirement age to apply as a divorced spouse, your benefit will be equal to half of your ex-spouse's full retirement amount or disability benefit. The same rules apply for a deceased former spouse." There is a lot to this benefit, so here's some reading to help you figure out what you may be entitled to receive. Ex-Spouse Benefits And How They Affect You Information You Need to Apply for Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Divorced Spouse's Benefits Can a Divorced Person Collect Social Security From an Ex? To find out if you are eligible for any Social Security benefit programs, use SSA's Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool. Here's a column about older adults and divorce: A 'gray divorce' can devastate your retirement plans. Here's how. In Retirement News Part of planning for retirement and then living on the money you've saved or invested is keeping up with the issues that you need to know. In this section, I feature blogs, news stories, new research, surveys, and government policy changes that could affect your retirement. If you see a news story or issue you think would help folks, let me know, and I'll check it out and share it with newsletter subscribers. Sticking to the issue of Social Security, there was big news last week. There's a significant increase coming for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits recipients next year, largely due to the increase in inflation. Read: Social Security benefits to rise 5.9 percent for roughly 70 million people in 2022 A cost-of-living adjustment or COLA will end up being about $92 a month for the average retired worker. The average couple's benefits will increase by $154 to $2,753 per month. Here's something else that many people may have missed: Starting in 2022, based on the increase in average wages, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax will increase to $147,000, up from $142,800. For more on why this is happening and how to handle a rise in consumer prices, read: Uncomfortable inflation is here, and it's changing the economy Inflation: How to spend less — or even make more money — as prices rise Retirement Rants and Raves How has inflation impacted your pre- and post-retirement? Send your comments to colorofmoney@washpost.com. Please include your name, city and state. In the subject line, put "Retirement Rants and Raves." Responses may be edited for clarity. This is also your space to rant or rave about anything related to retirement. Patrick Weaver of Spokane, Wash., echoed what I've heard a lot from retirees. "If the country really cares about making sure people are preparing for retirement, then we need to make a collective effort to provide much better education on the subject," he wrote. "This applies to elementary, middle, and high school. And don't forget about college and most importantly parents." He goes on to write that he and his wife have three adult children in their 20s. "While we can proudly say that all three have established both health savings accounts (HSA) and Roth IRA accounts, I am extremely worried by the stories they tell me about their friends. A very large portion of their age group has no knowledge of what a retirement account is, how it works, nor why it's important to start one early. Our kids have become de facto financial educators for people who I think have been failed by our education system." For more on teaching young adults about money, read: Millennials are racking up retirement savings in Roth IRAs Roth IRA vs. 401(k): Why one may be better for you than the other How to advocate for financial literacy in your child's school Teaching financial literacy is essential, but hold the conflict of interest | 
Email 
