Whether via a dating app or social media, meeting new friends and love interests online is more common than ever, says AARP.

But so is online romance fraud, through which criminals devastate tens of thousands of victims and their families every year, both financially and emotionally.

How it Works

•While playing an online game, perusing social media or looking at prospective partners on dating apps or sites, up pops an appealing invitation to connect.

•You accept the invitation and find yourself communicating with this new friend a lot. This friend suggests moving to another platform to continue talking.

•A romantic relationship develops quickly, though they always have plausible reasons for why you never meet in person. Maybe the love interest is working abroad or serving in the military in another country.

•Eventually, this love interest asks for money; sometimes the early requests are for small amounts, and they ask you to buy a gift card and share the numbers off the back. Or maybe they profess skill in investing in cryptocurrency and suggest you invest along with them.

What to Know

•The Federal Trade Commission says romance scams are second only to investment scams as the most profitable fraud on social media.

•While all ages experience this crime, the median losses for people 70 and over is $9,000, compared to $750 for the 18-29 age group.

•The request for money is a definite red flag, but so is a relationship that develops quickly, a request to move off the platform where you first connected and never getting to meet in person.

What to Do

•Use caution when meeting new people online; it is all too easy for criminals to pretend to be someone they are not.

•Use your browser’s reverse-image search on profile pictures when you meet someone new online. If the images are connected to profiles other than who you think you are talking to, it’s a scam; report the profile to the platform where you met.

•Talk with family and friends when you meet new people online to check your own emotional connection to this person - they have the benefit of seeing suspicious signs that emotion may blind you to.

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Editor’s note: If you or a loved one is experiencing this fraud, call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline to talk with a trained and empathetic specialist at 1-877-908-3360. They will help you understand what happened and guide you on steps to take.