Tens of millions lost to romance scams in B.C., RCMP say

SURREY (NEWS 1130) – Hundreds of British Columbians have lost over $22 million so far this year to people pretending to be in love with them.

RCMP are warning of romance scams, after 213 people fell victim to them in the Lower Mainland in the first eight months of 2021.

Many of these scams start on social media or dating sites. Surrey RCMP say they received 29 reports of this happening this year, and victims were slowly convinced to invest in fraudulent schemes. Money was often sent through bitcoin accounts.

Once the victim figures it out, the scammer disappears.

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Police are warning you to be wary of who you’re sending money to online, adding if a new online relationship is asking you for cash, it’s a red flag.

In Surrey alone, Mounties say over $1.3 million have been lost to romance scammers so far this year.

If you meet someone online, you’re also advised to do a reverse image search on Google, which is a quick way to check if their social media photos have been copied from somewhere on the Internet. You should also beware of people who seem to push for a romantic relationship quickly, even though you’ve never met.

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RCMP also say if someone wants to keep the relationship over the phone and Internet and never wants to meet up, there’s a pretty good chance they’re concealing their identity.