Cash lost in an online scam
Photo: contributed
A Kelowna man is out with a “significant amount of money” after sending it to a stranger he met online.
Kelowna RCMP issued an alert on Thursday, after receiving a report on July 7 about a man who had been scammed online.
“Kelowna RCMP received a complaint from a Kelowna man who developed what he believed to be an online friendship with someone posing as a woman,” said Const. Mike Della-Paolera of the Kelowna RCMP.
“This woman initially told the gentleman she was in Ontario and then in a foreign country. The woman borrowed money to cover debts and unexpected expenses.”
Const. Della-Paolera says the man “sent a significant amount of money to help the woman.” He later asked for his money back and offered to move to Canada. But the woman ended the relationship and never returned the money.
“If the basis of the relationship is sending money to help a person out of the country you haven’t met, be careful,” said Const. Della-Paolera.
The Kelowna RCMP have provided the following warning signs for this “common internet scheme:”
- Profiles that look too perfect
- Someone you’ve never met who professes their love for you and tries to dissuade you from talking to family or friends about the relationship
- They will get angry or act distressed if money is not sent
- They can introduce you to their family to legitimize the relationship
“You can protect yourself by not giving out personal information, don’t accept friend requests from people you don’t know, don’t invest in platforms you don’t know, protect your online accounts, and never send money to someone you don’t have. found”, Const. said Della-Paolera.