Two women from the Toronto area are sharing their experiences after falling victim to romance scams, including a single mother who lost $62,000.
Rama, who asked CTV News Toronto not to use her real name to protect her privacy, recounted how she met a man on Facebook who claimed to be a captain of a cruise ship in the United Kingdom.
“He asked if I was single, and I said yes. He seemed to be in love with me and wanted to know more about me,” Rama said. The man professed his love and began sending her gifts, including designer purses, watches, and jewelry. However, he claimed that the shipment was held up at the Canadian border and required payment for brokerage fees, taxes, insurance, and other costs.
Rama ended up spending $62,000 trying to retrieve the gifts, only to discover it was all a scam.
“I feel like I’m so broken. I took out all my life savings and even a line of credit for $54,000,” she lamented.
Another victim, Paige Harkness, shared her story of being scammed by a man she met online. Four years ago, Harkness met a man on a telephone dating site who claimed to manage a hedge fund and often traveled by private jet.
“He wore a tailored suit and seemed very successful. I had no reason to question him,” Harkness explained. Although they only met in person twice, the man continued to stay in touch, periodically texting her. Recently, he offered her a supposed investment opportunity.
Harkness ended up losing $14,000, money she had taken out on a line of credit against her home.
“I’m juggling all my other bills, and this loss has hit me hard,” she said.
According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), 1,190 victims lost $52,477,512 to romance fraud in 2023, making it the third most common scam based on reported losses.
The CAFC advises watching out for signs of a romance scam, such as someone declaring love quickly, making excuses not to meet in person, urging secrecy, and asking for money for travel or emergencies.
Both women expressed regret for not recognizing the red flags sooner and hope their stories will help others avoid similar situations.
“I feel so foolish because this could have been avoided. I should have contacted the police from the beginning,” said Rama.
Scammers often create fake dating profiles using stolen photos and tailored information. With advances in artificial intelligence, criminals may become even more adept at deceiving people looking for love online.