Internet Love Scam

Internet Love Scam

As of December 2021

1099

victims

Have fallen prey to scammers

S$46.9

million

Total amount lost to scammers

S$3.0

million

Largest amount lost by an individual

WHAT IS AN INTERNET LOVE SCAM?

You are befriended by an attractive person (usually foreign) online and after gaining your trust, they ask you for money as proof of love. He/She will tell a tale about falling into trouble or hard times and ask for a loan from you. Once the money is transferred, the scammer disappears.

In some cases, your online friend may ask you to invest in a company or cryptocurrencies.

He/she may also request that you help them receive or transfer funds on their behalf using your bank account.

Look out for these scam signs

How to stay safe

If you have not met the person, do not send any money to him or her.
Verify the identity of the person you are talking to with an online image search on, https://images.google.com
Insist on a LIVE video call with the person you're talking to.
All investments carry risks. Be wary of opportunities that promise high returns and low risk.

Always ask, check and confirm before you invest.
Never allow others to use your bank account to conduct their transactions. You may be committing a crime by laundering money for criminals.

Money laundering is a serious offence. Offenders may be fined up to $500,000 and imprisoned for 10 years. You should note that you are responsible for all the transactions carried out on your account.

Explore each stage of this scam

The 5 Stages of Internet Love Scam

Discover the techniques behind the scam and red flags to look out for

Internet Love Scam: Real Stories

19 Mar 2023 | Internet Love Scam

Online friend turned out to be a scammer

Request to befriend user @alex_wong810 on Instagram and ask for his WhatsApp number, which is +1 (418) 210-3506. He claimed to be a 45-year-old petroleum engineer from Hong Kong working in Atlanta, Georgia,…...

11 Mar 2023 | Internet Love Scam

I lost $23k to an Investment scam after knowing a friend online

In February 2023, I met a man named Lin Yang on the dating app CMB. He claimed to be Taiwanese and the owner of an architecture firm. We conversed in Mandarin and eventually moved to WhatsApp. Within…...

03 Mar 2023 | Internet Love Scam

Online friend tried to convince me to invest

I met a guy on OKC who introduced himself as an employee at Garena. At first, he seemed nice, sharing pictures of what he ate and did, but he never showed his face. He called me daily to chat and eventually…...

GET SCAM-RELATED ADVICE: CALL 1800-722-6688 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, excl. PH)
GET SCAM-RELATED ADVICE:
CALL 1800-722-6688
(Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, excl. PH)
Scamshield

Get Scamshield
Protection

ScamShield blocks messages and calls from numbers known to be used in illegal activities.

Mac App Store

Find out more at scamshield.org.sg.