Can Romance Steal Your Wallet As Well As Your Heart?
It’s unfortunate that some of the most under-reported financial crimes have nothing to do with banking, instead they have to do with romantic partners who cheat and steal from their partners. The embarrassment of having been taken by someone you loved or trusted is so over-powering that victims rarely report or prosecute people who steal from them. You may think you’re building a dream life together only to wake up and find out someone else has gotten a no credit check payday loan in your name, and you’re responsible for repayment. How can you protect yourself from this increasingly growing crime? Take note to maintain your privacy, and your wallet, as you engage others in intimate areas of your life.
Not A Sting, A Courtship
What makes people so vulnerable is the idea that only naïve people get taken by romance con artists. The truth is that these shysters are dealing with many people at one time, and have fine-tuned their skills to be convincing liars who are willing to commit large amounts of time, for the eventual big payoff - your money, and/or your credit identity. For that reason, the romance con artist will approach you as any other romance partner might, with offers of courtship and romance only, and wait until you are in their confidence before they ask for money or get the keys to your house to get private information. By that time, if you’ve fallen in love, you are at great risk of being taken financially.
Even When Dating Do Background Checks
Online dating is very popular, both with people looking for romance and for con artists looking for their next target. Online dating sites provide the perfect cover for someone trying to locate people who are vulnerable and love-starved, and easily manipulated into sending money or giving out information that can later be used to create fake accounts or make large purchases. In the event you are never asked for either, sometimes a romance con artist will simply ask you to receive packages and forward them somewhere, all the time leaving you unaware that you are participating in a theft ring.
Being Offline Isn’t Protection Either
Unfortunately, romance opportunists exist everywhere, even offline. If they can get something out of you, they will. Many a woman has married only to find their new husbands have lied about their finances, their employment, and their bank accounts. Once the marriage contract is in place, they become the means of support for the deadbeat husband who proceeds to drain all accounts dry, drive up credit card balances, and abscond with anything that isn’t nailed down. Men aren’t immune either as romance con artists exist in both sexes. The end game is when all money is funneled out of the victim’s hands, and then a portion of it is used to start again elsewhere, with another fake romantic partner.
Can We Trust Those We Love?
Anyone that proclaims love will not be upset if you want to do a background check or ask about their financial situation. These matters are an important element of starting a life together. Always seek to meet a romantic partner as soon as possible, and establish their trustworthiness not solely by their actions, but by direct documented proof. If one month after you meet them they are offering you a chance to become a business partner or claim they are dying of cancer and need your money or else they’ll never make it, walk the other way. Be warm-hearted with your partners, but be cold-hearted with your cash.
This entry was posted on Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 9:59 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
