LANSING, Mich. — With Valentine's Day just a few days away, Attorney General Dana Nessel is reminding Michiganders to watch out for romance scams.
Nessel says online dating services and shopping for Valentine's Day gifts come with risks that scammers will look to exploit.
“Dating services – particularly online – can lead to more than romantic encounters,” said Nessel. “These services, as well as shopping for Valentine’s Day gifts, come with risks that bad actors will look to exploit. It’s important to know how to protect yourself so looking for romance doesn’t lead to financial ruin.”
To protect your heart and wallet, here's what she says to look out for:
- Never give someone you haven't met money. Scammers will play on your emotions to get the information they need to carry out their scam.
- Always be cautious with your personal and financial information.
- Never agree to meet for the first time in a private setting. Go to a public place where other people will be around, ad make sure to tell a family or friend where you will be.
- Conduct an online reverse image search to see where else the person's image appears and whether it's been altered.
- Be suspicious if the other person refuses to talk on the phone or do a video call before meeting in person.
- If you're signing up for an online dating service, make sure you read the fine print. Some contracts make it easy for the service to avoid responsibility but difficult for consumers to get their money back.
The FBI says romance scams account for the highest financial losses of all internet-facilitated crimes.
