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Her.meneutics is edited by associate editor Katelyn Beaty and online editor Sarah Pulliam Bailey.

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October 20, 2009

Trouble with Online Love

Australian police found that two out of three victims of “romance fraud” are women.

Elissa Cooper

More Australians are being duped by “romance fraud” or “love scam,” particularly Christian women, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. Through dating or social networking sites and Christian chat rooms, online scammers posing as love interests have convinced people to send millions of dollars to places like Nigeria.

"They go into Christian chat rooms and a lot of the time when they ask for money, there's a Christian element to the [scammer's] story," Queensland police Fraud Squad chief Detective Inspector Brian Hay said. "It's a comfort thing for the victim. "We are seeing more targeted attacks because people put information about themselves on to the web."
internetfraud1.jpg

USA Today’s Cathy Lynn Grossman poses the question: “Do you worry that sharing your faith on dating or social networking online sites could attract people who treat your values as stepping stones to a scam -- financial or spiritual?”

Christian Dating Watchdog lists various dating sites that Christians should avoid because of a site’s secular ownership, gay/lesbian profiles, or “questionable methods of advertising.” However, it doesn’t mention any troubling sites due to romance frauds.

There are few places that monitor these frauds, such as Internet Love Scams (ILS), which offers support to victims of romance frauds. It states, “A “normal” person wanting YOU, not what you can give them would not be asking you for money or goods. If they do, you are being scammed.”

The site, which has several thousand members, finds that scammers will use any approaches that will catch your sympathy. Many of the ISL posters still believe the Internet is a powerful tool for finding one’s soul mate. Sometimes, the fraud continues: ILS knows that scammers have the audacity to join as members and then try to con other members who are trying to recover.

Australian police found that sometimes the online relationships develop over months before the scammers ask for money. Queensland Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson called romance frauds “a particularly cruel scam” as it targets people who are oftentimes “lonely and vulnerable.”

Does the potential for romance fraud dissuade you from developing relationships on the Internet? Why do you think Christian women are particularly susceptible to fraud?

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Posted by Sarah Pulliam Bailey on October 20, 2009 10:52 AM

Comments

I also have a website that monitors fraud called www.suspectedscammers.com. The Internet Community may submit email addresses of suspected fraudsters anonymously and for free on my site. You can also anonymously browse and search for free.

My website is a public service to those who have been victimized, and to those who are suspicous of emails they have received. I encourage people to go to my site and submit fraudsters email addresses. Please help me make the internet a better place.

Posted By: Chris | October 22, 2009 6:03 AM

There are so many disadvantages of online dating!
Lack of Trust: To so many people, it is hard to give trust to others based on bad experiences and such. As hard as it is to earn the trust of a partner whom you can see, communicate with and discuss different topics and issues of concern, it is even harder to achieve trust online.
Ease of Deception: One might argue that one, who is willing to lie, will lie either way, online or face to face. I agree. But, I think it is way easier to lie online through creating unrealistic stories and claiming misleading characteristics.
Missing Big Chunks: Relationships, at least the ones that are meant to last, constitute of many elements which need to be present, simultaneously to ensure their longevity. Through online dating, big chunks of the relationship are missing such as body language, tone of voice and so on.

Posted By: ginko | October 28, 2009 6:22 AM

I think it is sad that people cannot even go to a Christian
site without the fear of scammers. My advice to these people going to these sites in hopes of finding a romantic interest,
if they mention money...run...don't walk...run away from them.
Use your head not your heart in these circumstances. There are way too many predators out there and you must use your head and think. Pray to the Lord for guidance in all things...and trust in His response or (not responding).
God's blessings to all those who have been victims...

Posted By: Rose | October 29, 2009 6:04 AM

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