Remember the Romance Scam? It’s morphed into the Friendship Scam, and It’s Even More Insidious
You’ve probably heard sad tales of people conned in romance scams for years, but now there’s a new variant, this time scammers are using online “friendships” as a way of profiting off unsuspecting victims. It’s even more insidious because thanks to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) a fraudster can assume a completely different online identity in order to connect with their targeted victim.
Where do these “friendship” scammers stalk their prey? Usually via social media, particularly within Facebook groups allowing the fraudsters to mimic interest in whatever that group’s subject or theme appears to be. They tend to follow a predictable playbook by lurking not only within Facebook, but on Instagram and Reddit as well. The scammer will send a potential victim a DM or simply comment on a post, or reply to the target’s comment on a post. The fraudster will often employ empathy or “mirroring” in hopes of creating an emotional connection with their victim. Once the scammer has their victim hooked, they encourage communication using encrypted text messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, both platforms being difficult to trace. Eventually the scammer will cobble up a personal crisis in order to ask for some sort of financial help. They will often request money to be sent via nontraditional channels such as gift cards, cryptocurrency or peer-to-peer payment apps (like PayPal, Cash App, Venmo etc.).
Since this particular scam is not romance-based and strictly platonic, the perpetrators are harder to spot. These scammers are tenaciously subtle in building a relationship with their marks, making it difficult for victims to become skeptical. Again, with the help of AI, a scammer can pretend to be a different age, even a different gender. Imagine a male scammer, say, in his twenties (and from overseas) targeting a senior female who is fond of knitting and lives in the Midwestern United States. The fraudster can create a totally phony persona: an older woman, living in Minnesota and is an avid knitter — like the intended victim, complete with an AI generated image that looks real enough, sharing images of the imposter knitting scarves. The scammer might also use ChatGPT to translate their own language into English, making sure to add in some common American slang and idiom.
What you can do to stay safe
Be skeptical of immediate intimacy. Scammers are usually in a rush to establish closeness with their target. When a new connection starts to become a bit too intimate quickly, beware and put your shields up!
Beware of secrecy and evasion. It’s prudent to be suspicious and err on the side of caution whenever you meet someone new online. Ask your new online “friend” to speak with you over the phone, have a video chat, or even meet with them in person. If they make constant excuses for not doing any of that, you know that they are hiding something.
Do NOT send money. This is the biggest red flag: when your new “friend”, whom you’ve never met in person, asks for cash, because let’s face it, that is their ultimate objective. You should slam your brakes at the proverbial Stop light once the “friend” requests nontraditional payment methods like gift cards or crypto.
Engage a second opinion. If you are skeptical about a new online friendship, confide in a trusted friend or family member to shine a fresh light on the “relationship.” You can also use tools to ferret out scammers. These applications are adept at detecting potential scams by analyzing text messages, social media posts, emails, and websites: Norton Genie, AI Scam Detective, and ScamSniper.
More Information on Friendship Scams
Relationship Investment Scams ‒ Protect Yourself
In a relationship investment scam, scammers reach out online or through text messages, attempting to build trust through friendship or a romantic connection to convince you to put money into phony investments.
Relationship investment scams are called various names, including romance scams, crypto/cryptocurrency investment scams, financial grooming scams, and “pig butchering” scams. These frauds can be devastating, and cause investors to lose billions of dollars every year.
Protecting Yourself From Romance and Friendship Scams
Romance and friendship scams are becoming increasingly popular on online platforms. Veterans must be cognizant of the risks and vulnerabilities that may leave them susceptible to attack. The following tips and behaviors can help Veterans practice safe online behavior and prevent fraud.
Does a friend you met online need money for an emergency? That’s a scam
If your new online friend or romantic interest says they have an emergency and need money, it might not mean they have bad luck. It’s more likely they’re a scammer trying to grab your money. So, how can you tell if an online “friend” is a fraud?
It’s hard to know who people really are when you meet them online. Scammers create fake profiles on social media, as well as game and dating sites. They might send you a friend request, start a conversation and friendship, chatting or texting daily. Surprisingly soon, they might say they’re in love with you. Then, suddenly, they’ll have an expensive emergency — a lost job, failed business, or sister who needs an operation — and appeal to you for gift cards, money transfers, even cryptocurrency.
