{"id":1266,"date":"2022-02-14T11:58:12","date_gmt":"2022-02-14T16:58:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/?p=1266"},"modified":"2022-11-09T14:11:23","modified_gmt":"2022-11-09T19:11:23","slug":"when-love-is-a-scam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/when-love-is-a-scam\/","title":{"rendered":"When Love is a Scam"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>By Crystal Baldwin<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Love fills us with joy, lifts us up, and makes us feel alive. As determined by a recent <a href=\"https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2019\/08\/21\/online-dating-popular-way-u-s-couples-meet\/\">Stanford University<\/a> study, for many, love is found online. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-rounded\">\n<figure class=\"alignright 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\/2022\/02\/ClickforLove-1024x681.png\" alt=\"Says &quot;Click for Love&quot; with Heart and Clouds\" class=\"wp-image-1269\" width=\"152\" height=\"102\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2022\/02\/ClickforLove-1024x681.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2022\/02\/ClickforLove-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2022\/02\/ClickforLove-768x511.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2022\/02\/ClickforLove-451x300.png 451w, https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2022\/02\/ClickforLove.png 1297w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 152px) 100vw, 152px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Technological advances and the move of our social lives and networks to online platforms has shifted the dating world to unchartered territory\u2013online dating websites (Match, Zoosk, OurTime, Plenty of Fish, OKCupid, eHarmony), dating apps (Bumble, Tinder, Hinge), gaming platforms (Words With Friends, Sociable, Yahtzee with Buddies) and unassuming networks (Facebook, Instagram). As if the dating world were not challenging enough to navigate. Now, those looking for love must also learn how to create a true connection through tech, while avoiding scammers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>New data from the Federal Trade Commission show that <strong>more consumers than ever<\/strong> <strong>report falling prey to romance scammers<\/strong>.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>Consumers reported losing <strong>$547 million<\/strong> in 2021 alone.<br \/><br \/>Reported losses to romance scammers were up nearly 80 percent compared to 2020.<\/p><cite><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/news-events\/press-releases\/2022\/02\/ftc-data-show-romance-scams-hit-record-high-547-million-reported\">Federal Trade Commission<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\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=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gwLtvAFd5zg?start=2&#038;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 &#8211; Learn more at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/romance-imposter\/\">ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/romance-imposter<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At the end of last year, our office released a <a href=\"https:\/\/ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/romance-imposter\/\">video<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/imposter-scams-toolkit\/\">toolkit<\/a> alerting Vermonters about imposter romance scams that can take place on dating platforms. Before looking for love online, <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/introducing-romance-scam-prevention-videos\/\">check out the video and tools<\/a> we created to help you to identify unscrupulous love interests and relationships of confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Watch the videos and read an open letter about a Vermonter\u2019s engagement in a romance scam: <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/introducing-romance-scam-prevention-videos\/\">Introducing: Romance Scam Prevention Videos<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Learn how romance scams materialize online: <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/stay-safe-online-this-valentines-day\/\">Stay Safe Online This Valentine\u2019s Day<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Identifying a potential match from a mooch: <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/match-or-mooch-preventing-romance-scams\/\">Match or Mooch? Preventing Romance Scams<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You can find love online and avoid scams. Print out our helpful <a href=\"https:\/\/ago.vermont.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Romance-Imposter-Steps-to-Verify-Handout.pdf\">verification flyer<\/a> and reference it often.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"940\" height=\"788\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2022\/02\/Romance-Scams-Blog-Infographic.png\" alt=\"To avoid romance scams...Search the internet to verify a person's identity. Never send money\/personal information to someone you have not met in person. Don't trust anyone who: refuses to provide additional photos of themselves. Requests money for financial support. Refuses to chat with you through webcam. Provides excuses as to why you can't meet.\" class=\"wp-image-1277\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2022\/02\/Romance-Scams-Blog-Infographic.png 940w, https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2022\/02\/Romance-Scams-Blog-Infographic-300x251.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2022\/02\/Romance-Scams-Blog-Infographic-768x644.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2022\/02\/Romance-Scams-Blog-Infographic-358x300.png 358w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px\" \/><figcaption>Tips to avoid romance scams by the Consumer Assistance Program<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>If you or someone you know has encountered a scam in Vermont, report it.\u202fUse CAP\u2019s\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/stopping-scams\/\">online scam reporting form<\/a> and visit the our <a href=\"https:\/\/ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/scam-recovery\/\">scam recovery<\/a> webpage.\u202f\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Help us stop these scams by sharing this information with those you care about.\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Resources: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/news-events\/press-releases\/2022\/02\/ftc-data-show-romance-scams-hit-record-high-547-million-reported\">FTC.gov<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2019\/08\/21\/online-dating-popular-way-u-s-couples-meet\/\">news.stanford.edu<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Technological advances and the move of our social lives and networks to online platforms has shifted the dating world to unchartered territory\u2013online dating websites (Match, Zoosk, OurTime, Plenty of Fish, OKCupid, eHarmony), dating apps (Bumble, Tinder, Hinge), gaming platforms (Words With Friends, Sociable, Yahtzee with Buddies) and unassuming networks (Facebook, Instagram). As if the dating world were not challenging enough to navigate. Now, those looking for love must also learn how to create a true connection through tech, while avoiding scammers. <\/p>\n<p>At the end of last year, our office released a video and toolkit alerting Vermonters about imposter romance scams that can take place on dating platforms. Before looking for love online, checkout the video and tools we created to help you to identify unscrupulous love interests and relationships of confidence.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4480,"featured_media":1422,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[642527,642526,704845,639468,639477,402199,481474,494301,642531,642530,505456,642532,639463,639476,484616,482450,639488,639384,704866,639489],"class_list":["post-1266","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-happylove","tag-romancescam-2","tag-slowdown","tag-stopscams-2","tag-takestepstoverify","tag-cap","tag-consumer","tag-consumer-assistance-program","tag-dating-apps","tag-dating-websites","tag-elder-protection-initiative","tag-gaming-dating","tag-onlinedating-2","tag-romanceimposter","tag-scam","tag-scams","tag-slow","tag-slow-down","tag-slow-down-and-follow-a-plan-to-not-get-scammed","tag-slow-method","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1266","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=1266"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1266\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1534,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1266\/revisions\/1534"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1266"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1266"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1266"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}