of complaints and the amount ….

of complaints and the amount of money lost in this scam have both steadily increased in recent years.

The FBI’s IC3 has the following tips to help older adults to avoid romance scams:

• Be cautious of individuals who claim the romance was destiny or fate, or that you were meant to be together.

• Be cautious if an individual tells you he or she is in love with you and cannot live without you but needs you to send money to fund a visit.

• Fraudsters typically claim to be originally from the United States (or your local region), but are currently overseas, or going overseas, for business or family matters.