Authorities warn about the increase in this crime that takes advantage of emotional vulnerability to obtain money
On dates associated with love and relationships, such as Valentine’s Day, the risks of falling into love fraud also increase, a type of scam that combines emotional manipulation, digital deception, and psychological pressure to deprive victims of their money.
In Mexico, this crime disproportionately affects women, who account for two out of every three documented cases.
According to the Citizen Council for Security and Justice of Mexico City, 66 percent of victims of love fraud are women, mainly in the age range of 41 to 50 years, while 34 percent correspond to men. The figures reveal that, although in some cases the scams do not materialize, when they do they can cause losses ranging from 5 thousand to more than 800 thousand pesos.
How Romance Scams Operate
Love fraud usually starts on social networks or dating apps, where scammers create attractive and apparently real profiles. The main contact platform identified is Facebook, used in 70 percent of cases, although deception has also been detected through Bumble, OKCupid, Meetme, Jaumo, Pinalove, Hoop, and Bumpy.
On Valentine’s Day, love scams intensify on social networks and dating apps, where scammers use emotional manipulation and false promises of investment to rob women of their money
The first contact is usually cordial and constant. Later, the relationship migrates to messaging services such as WhatsApp, where a stage of emotional manipulation begins, known aslove bombing: frequent messages, compliments, promises of love, and plans for the future. At the same time, scammers avoid giving verifiable personal information and never arrange face-to-face meetings.
Business and cryptocurrency promise
Testimonies collected by the Citizen Council indicate that behind many cases there is an international network of scammers, mainly men of Arab origin, who are looking for professional, independent women with economic solvency, between 33 and 50 years old.
The deception usually escalates when an alleged business opportunity appears, usually linked to investments in cryptocurrencies. To build trust, criminals use real videos, audios, and photographs, simulating transparency and financial success. However, once the victim invests their money, the losses, the sudden distancing (ghosting), and the total disappearance of the scammer begin.
Red Flags to Identify Love Fraud
Authorities warn that there are common patterns for recognizing a sentimental scammer:
- Excessive and accelerated interest in establishing a relationship.
- Gifts, virtual flowers and constant demonstrations of affection.
- Lack of clear personal information or conflicting stories.
- Photographs that are too perfect or without a trace on other networks.
- Recurrent economic problems that lead to requests for money.
- Constant excuses to avoid face-to-face encounters.
Prevention and support for victims
Among the main recommendations are not to send money to people who do not know each other in person, avoid sharing intimate information, be wary of idealized profiles and perform reverse image searches on Google to verify suspicious identities.
The Citizen Council recalled that it offers free and confidential legal and psychological attention and accompaniment, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, through the Security Line and Trust Chat 55 5533 5533. The slogan is clear: love should not imply economic losses or patrimonial violence, and prevention continues to be the best tool against this type of crime.
Source: Infobae
