Romance Scams

With the popularity of online dating apps and social networking sites, scammers have found another way to steal money from people. Here are a few tips to avoid losing money to an online romance scammer:

• Never send money to someone you have not met in person
• If the person asks for money for any reason, stop communicating with the person immediately
• Do an online search for the type of job the person has. Many romance scams have similar job stories such as “oil rigger scam” or “US Army scammer”.

While these tips are very sensible, be aware of these scams for your own family members, especially younger adult members of your family that are using online networks to meet new people. If something a family member tells you about their new online romance sounds suspicious, speak up!

Family Emergency Scams

These scams can happen online, via text or on the phone. A scammer contacts you and tells you they are a close friend of a family member or a family member that you have little contact with. They will tell you that someone in your family needs your help. Stories like “your brother is in jail and needs bail money” or “your cousin’s car broke down and they need money to stay in a hotel”. The stories are endless.

The scams always include an urgent request for money and the scammer will play to your emotions to help a family member.  The scammer will also ask you to keep the emergency a secret. If you receive a call or text with this type of request, here are a few tips:

• Do not send any money immediately.
• Hang up immediately and then contact the family member that is “in trouble” using the contact information you have. Do not use the contact information possibly provided by the scammer.
• Reach out to another family member that can verify the emergency.

As with romance scams, most of these tips make perfect sense and many are unlikely to ever fall victim to these scammers. However, it is good to talk to your family members about these scams. Grandparents can be particularly vulnerable if the scammer pretends to be a grandson or granddaughter. The request of “please don’t tell Mom or Dad” will keep the scam a secret and some grandparents may be reluctant to admit they have been scammed.

While the thought of these scams is unpleasant, share these tips with your family.

And always, report the scam to the FTC at www.ReportFraud.ftc.gov. This reporting can help others before they fall victim to one of these scams. If you believe a scammer has gained access to your NGFCU accounts, notify us immediately at 800.633.2848.