Love scammers in Rottal: women cheated out of thousands of euros!

Love scammers in Rottal: women cheated out of thousands of euros!

In the picturesque Rottal-Inn region, the digital world has long since become a flirt zone. Unfortunately, it turns out that not everyone who looks for affection online does so honestly. Two women from the district recently fell victim to unscrupulous online fraudsters who posed as romantic partners and defrauded them of large amounts of money. idowa.de reports on the shocking incidents that were reported.

A 42-year-old woman met a man on a language learning app who claimed to be an engineer on an oil platform in Scotland. The man managed to build an emotional bond over several weeks before staging an emergency and demanding money. “An accident on the platform and my cell phone fell into the sea,” was his story, which led to the woman transferring almost 15,000 euros to an account in Turkey. Luckily, an alert bank employee was able to stop the payment and send the woman to the police.

Another case from Gangkofen

Something similar happened to a 57-year-old woman from Gangkofen who received a friend request on a social media platform in April 2024. The fraudster pretended to be in financial distress and asked for money to help his “wrongfully imprisoned daughter.” In another example of audacity, the woman transferred a mid-four-figure amount to various accounts in the hope that the matter would end well. Here too there was the promise of a package containing valuable items that never arrived. The police in the Rottal-Inn district recommend taking a step back from such inquiries and contacting trusted people before taking any action. [pnp.de].

Online dating scams are not isolated cases. According to studies, the number of scams has increased sharply in recent years, especially during the pandemic when many people were isolated and looking for companionship. Statistics from the USA show that romance scams caused $1.3 billion in damage in 2022. comparitech.com points out that people over 65 years of age in particular often become victims of such schemes. The impact of loneliness, especially during special occasions like Valentine's Day, significantly increases the vulnerability to fraud.

Ways to prevent

To protect yourself from online fraud, it is advisable to treat personal information with caution and carefully check all contacts. Scammers often use similar stories to inspire trust and sometimes work in networks to increase their credibility. When it comes to contacts via social media, you should also be careful and, if in doubt, question your attachment. Reporting suspicions to the police should be considered before making any financial advances.

Rottal-Inn shows that the search for love in the digital world can come at a high price if you're not careful. Don't be blinded by false hopes - because real love should have no price!