{"id":1187,"date":"2021-12-08T19:04:37","date_gmt":"2021-12-09T00:04:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/?p=1187"},"modified":"2022-11-09T14:12:41","modified_gmt":"2022-11-09T19:12:41","slug":"introducing-romance-scam-prevention-videos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/introducing-romance-scam-prevention-videos\/","title":{"rendered":"Introducing: Romance Scam Prevention Videos"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>By Crystal Baldwin<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/romance-imposter\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2021\/12\/image-2-1024x325.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1193\" width=\"589\" height=\"185\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2021\/12\/image-2-300x95.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2021\/12\/image-2-768x243.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 589px) 100vw, 589px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Anyone who has overheard the conversation of online streaming video game players on opposite sides of the globe knows that real and true friendships can form online between parties that have never met&nbsp;before.&nbsp;As shared in the following open letter, this is how scam&nbsp;prevention&nbsp;advocate Pat McCarty\u2019s online relationship began just two years ago.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\":30 - Avoiding the Romance Scam\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tzuGzrNCAZQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption>:30 &#8211; Avoiding the Romance Scam video. Hear the whole story at <a href=\"https:\/\/ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/romance-imposter\/\">ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/romance-imposter<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fcf5f5;color:#102093\">From Pat McCarty: <br \/>Until it happens to you, it\u2019s impossible to understand; a man or woman freely sending money to someone they\u2019ve never met in person. But I\u2019m here to tell you, even the most cynical, worldly, educated, and discerning person can, and does, get scammed!&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fcf5f5;color:#102093\">There are hundreds of different scams out there, I got caught up \u2018catfished\u2019 into a \u2018Romance Scam\u2019 that crippled me financially, undermined my self-confidence, and ended up breaking my heart. I was a&nbsp;58-year-old, recent&nbsp;divorc\u00e9e&nbsp;after a 30&nbsp;year&nbsp;marriage, living on my own for the first time in my life. I\u2019m a college graduate,&nbsp;fairly bright, cynic, who doesn\u2019t suffer fools gladly.&nbsp;But,&nbsp;I\u2019m also a Christian woman, who tries to help those in need, and THAT is what my scammer preyed upon\u2014my&nbsp;compassion for others.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fcf5f5;color:#102093\">I was not out looking for a mate, date, or companion on some dating site.&nbsp;I was playing&nbsp;Words&nbsp;With&nbsp;Friends&nbsp;online, which I often did. And that is where this scammer targeted me. The conversation was very generic at first, but slowly, over weeks, developed into an online friendship. From there, it took a turn into a private chat room, and then he had me right where he wanted me! It\u2019s a long twisting story, but ended with me selling all my gold jewelry, sending every spare cent I had to him, as these scammers are polished and sophisticated, they have a plausible story for EVERYTHING! At the point I&nbsp;actually sold&nbsp;my car, my only transportation, to \u201chelp\u201d him.&nbsp;I knew I\u2019d \u2018jumped the shark,\u2019 and started doing some digging myself!&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fcf5f5;color:#102093\">What I found was heartbreaking, infuriating, and devastating.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\":60 - Avoiding the Romance Scam\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VB4eB9TR5JI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption>:60 &#8211; Avoiding the Romance Scam video. Hear the whole story at <a href=\"https:\/\/ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/romance-imposter\/\">ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/romance-imposter<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fcf5f5;color:#102093\">That was 2 years ago. After some time, good therapy, and scam-specific education, I no longer see myself as a victim, but as a SURVIVOR! My life is mine again, my finances are healthy again, and I\u2019ve taken back my power by volunteering at a Fraud Watch call-in center, advising others how to get out of scams like mine and so much more. With literally hundreds of scams out there, and new ones popping up daily, I\u2019m so honored to help others get out of their scams and find THEIR power again. And, if I\u2019ve learned anything, it\u2019s that literally ANYONE can be scammed! I hear stories every day of those who thought it would NEVER happen to them.&nbsp;Knowledge&nbsp;is power.&nbsp;Learn all the red flags and warnings\u2026.BEFORE&nbsp;it&nbsp;&nbsp;happens&nbsp;to you!&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Pat relays, enlisting in a scam-specific education to learn more about scams&nbsp;in order to&nbsp;stop them, is the best defense&nbsp;against&nbsp;scams. Today, our office announced the release of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=gwLtvAFd5zg\">Avoiding the Romance Scam prevention video<\/a> (embedded throughout this post in varying lengths), an effort produced here in Vermont, based on true accounts of scams experienced by our neighbors&nbsp;like Pat. Help protect yourself and others by taking time to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=gwLtvAFd5zg\">watch the video<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/romance-imposter\/\">Review&nbsp;the&nbsp;information on our website<\/a>&nbsp;and <a href=\"https:\/\/ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/imposter-scams-toolkit\/\">encourage <\/a>those you care about to learn more about scams and prevention strategies to stop them.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Avoiding the Romance Scam\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gwLtvAFd5zg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption> Avoiding the Romance Scam video. Learn more at <a href=\"https:\/\/ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/romance-imposter\/\">ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/romance-imposter<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Learn more at <a href=\"https:\/\/ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/romance-imposter\/\">ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/romance-imposter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/?s=romance&amp;submit=Search\" target=\"_blank\">Read more blogs about romance scams<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Report Scams:<\/strong>\u202f&nbsp;<br \/>If you or someone you know has encountered a scam in Vermont, report it.\u202fUse CAP\u2019s\u202f<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/stopping-scams\/\" target=\"_blank\">online scam reporting form<\/a>.\u202f\u202f&nbsp;<br \/>&nbsp;<br \/>Help us stop these scams by sharing this information with those you care about.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Crystal Baldwin Anyone who has overheard the conversation of online streaming video game players on opposite sides of the globe knows that real and true friendships can form online between parties that have never met&nbsp;before.&nbsp;As shared in the following &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/introducing-romance-scam-prevention-videos\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4480,"featured_media":1193,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[639468,704865,639477,481474,505456,639463,639476,639464,484616,482450,639488,639384,704866,639465],"class_list":["post-1187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-stopscams-2","tag-stopscamswithslow","tag-takestepstoverify","tag-consumer","tag-elder-protection-initiative","tag-onlinedating-2","tag-romanceimposter","tag-romancescam","tag-scam","tag-scams","tag-slow","tag-slow-down","tag-slow-down-and-follow-a-plan-to-not-get-scammed","tag-verifyonlinerelationships"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1187","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4480"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1187"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1187\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1537,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1187\/revisions\/1537"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}