News Release FBI
With Valentine’s Day approaching, it is a prime time for romance scams. In this type of fraud, scammers target and take advantage of people looking for companionship or romantic partners and con them out of their money. Romance scammers search dating websites, apps, chat rooms, and social networking sites in their efforts to build a relationship.
Romance scams have resulted in one of the highest amounts of financial losses when compared to other internet-facilitated crimes. Nationally, in 2020, there were close to 24,000 victims who reported losses to the FBI exceeding $605,000,000. In Nebraska and Iowa, close to 300 victims reported losses exceeding $5,400,000.
FBI Omaha continuously works to raise awareness about online romance scams. On Thursday, February 11, 2021, a special agent from our Cyber Task Force will be available to speak to the media about examples of romance fraud, those who are most susceptible to the crime and tips to avoid being a victim. If you are interested, virtual interviews can be scheduled between 10 am – 12 pm or in-person interviews at FBI Omaha headquarters between 2 pm – 4 pm. Please call or email Amy Adams to set up an interview time.
More information on romance fraud can be found at this link -