Colorado Has More Than 350 Romance Scam Victims

These are difficult times for many reasons - and the pandemic is one more reason to be especially cautious when it comes to romance.

Social Catfishing is a scheme that happens across the country and is very prevalent in Colorado. It's a deceptive practice where people create a fake identity on social media and target individuals under the guise of romance, but with the intention to abuse or defraud.

A study using data from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center shows Colorado ranks 17th in the nation in catfishing victims with 353.

One of the problems during the pandemic is that a lot of people are lonely and starving for social interaction, including romance. Scammers prey on people's loneliness and isolation. According to SocialCatfish.com, there are five tricks romance scammers are using during the pandemic.

There are some basic common-sense rules the Social Catfish website offers to help you avoid being scammed like not giving money to people you meet on the internet, never give out personal information, take things slow, and before things go too far insist on a video chat or personal meeting in a public place.

You might never fall for a romance scheme, but the reality is, people do - and it's happening across Colorado - to the tune of more than 350 victims. Don't be the next one. Beware, be cautious, and hold tight to your own common sense. That's a good way to hang on to your hard-earned money.