Online Dating Scams

Durham Regional Police investigators are continuing to see the trend of online dating scams on the rise. A number of victims involved in online dating scams have suffered financial loss through sending money or the disclosure of their personal information.

During the week of July 19, 2010, two Durham residents were the victim of this type of fraud. The first victim sent thousands of dollars to a suspect in Malaysia who she had been engaged in an online relationship with. The suspect claimed he had recently come into a multi-million dollar inheritance and in order to obtain the funds, he required the victim to send him funds via Western Union. The second victim sent thousands of dollars to a suspect in Nigeria who advised he needed the funds to pay for surgery for his daughter.

Many victims are defrauded online after several months of communicating with suspects. In many cases, victims are ‘worked’ for months until the suspect feels the victims are ready to be duped.