Following the news that the number of people defrauded in the UK by online dating scams reached a record high in 2016. According to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, there were 3,889 victims of so-called romance fraud last year, who handed over a record £39m. IT security experts from ESET and AlienVault commented below.
Mark James, IT Security Specialist at ESET:
We have to understand that when on the internet or dealing with others in a non-physical format we should always at the very least question what we are doing, does it sound legit? Could it really be true? And if we do engage in sending money we have to treat it like gambling at the casino, decide on how much you can afford to lose and be prepared to do so, it may be the jackpot, and if it is then you can reap the rewards but sadly in today’s world of scammers and deceivers it’s a more than likely someone else trying to fleece you for all they can.”
Javvad Malik, Security Advocate at AlienVault:
The problem for many dating sites is that their model is built upon having as many active profiles as possible to attract new customers. So, it’s not in their business interest to be stringent in validating the authenticity of people signing up. In some cases, it has been reported that the dating site itself creates fake profiles in order to lure customers.
However, legitimate sites need to add a layer of user validation, or some form of vetting that can deter fraudsters from setting up multiple fake profiles and spamming unsuspecting victims.
Users should be wary at all times. Obviously, people go on dating sites in the hope of meeting someone. But don’t be fooled by a good-looking profile suddenly expressing an intense desire to become your soul mate. Look for signs such as them being abroad, vague with details, or always too busy to meet or speak on the phone.”
The opinions expressed in this post belongs to the individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Information Security Buzz.