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Dating fraud remains a problem. Although there are many warnings about this form of fraud, victims were scammed for 3,744,300 euros in 2019. This is evident from recent figures from the Fraud Help Desk, Nu.nl reports .
Last year, the Fraud Help Desk received 639 reports of dating fraud. The year before, there were “only” 412, or an increase of 55% in 2019. Of the 639 reports, 259 people actually became victims of dating fraud . Together, they were defrauded of an amount of 3,744,300 euros: an average of 14,457 euros per person.
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Doubling of total damage
Compared to two years ago, the amount of damage has more than doubled. In 2017, the total damage was still 1,651,769 euros. From these figures, it can be concluded that dating fraud has increased significantly in the past year . Moreover, the number of actual victims is probably even higher; not everyone who falls victim to dating fraud reports it to the Fraud Help Desk.
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People over 45 are at greater risk
Older people in particular should beware of this form of fraud. The victims of dating fraud are mainly people aged 45 and over , according to Tanya Wijngaarde, spokesperson for the Fraud Help Desk. “The perpetrators often go looking for people who are divorced, widowed or widowed. People who need contact.” She also notes that there are more reports of female victims than male.
According to Wijngaarde, the amount per victim is so high because the victims are defrauded over a long period of time. “The perpetrators spend months, sometimes years, in contact with their victims.” Wijngaarde warns people who date online to be alert to this scam technique .
“They pretend to be the ideal man or woman,” Wijngaarde explains. “They send sweet messages every day and sometimes flowers. After a while, they say they need money temporarily. The victims pay that under the assumption that they will get the money back at some point, but that is not the case.”
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