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Scams are increasing year over year. Thanks to the internet, the methods used are becoming even more elaborate. Scammers who target those seeking any sort of romantic connection use methods of extortion or traditional deposit scams to get paid.
These types of scams fall under the romance scam umbrella and are becoming increasingly common. Romance scams are a fast-increasing marketplace for scammers to branch out to as a means to steal money.
Romance scams are focused on targeting victims looking to connect with other people on dating apps, targeting victims on social media, or even those who may or may not have engaged with accounts on escort services.
Scammers who aim to extort their victims typically collect personal information through social engineering and collect incriminating photos, videos, and text. The extortion of the victim is done through the collection of their personal information.
An extortionist will collect as much of their victim’s personal information, including the information of their family, friends, and work to use in ransom to expose the person. The materials they’ve collected on their victim will be used as leverage against them to collect money.
Extortionists use manipulation and shame tactics to obtain the materials they need and the fear of exposure to keep their victims quiet. While these tactics have existed for a very long time, practicing online blackmail has become a new market for scammers.
Before scammers made the online world their primary focus, they relied on real-world tactics for deception. Many scams have been adapted to an online format as they share similar roots and basic fundamentals.
There are many types of scams that cover blackmail and fraud through the use of fake companies, legitimate companies, and the sale of fake goods and services. The ultimate goal of any scam is to take money and leave the victim with seemingly no recourse.
Early scams used complex grifting methods, from three-card monte, which aimed to deceive a victim into thinking they had a chance at making easy money, to more elaborate Ponzi schemes. Scammers rely on a victim’s willingness to supply money and the ability to intimidate or disappear to complete the scam.
Modern-day scams, in many ways, have simplified and become something that many more people can perform. The internet has provided a method for the average person to perform scams. The internet is a vast landscape of interconnectivity that can allow a person across the world to contact someone else.
Technology has allowed that same person to create emails, websites, and phone numbers. It has also made it possible for a scammer to create what appears to be an entire person or company to convince their victim that they are who they say they are.
Let’s take a closer look at the elements of a scam.
A scammer cannot successfully operate as themselves; doing so would lead to a short run if they’re discovered. They rely on a disguise, a fake profile, or a phony business to hide themselves.
The internet offers the ability to layer disguises and use throwaway accounts, fake emails, and spoofing techniques to pretend to be someone else. A convincing disguise will be to pass themselves off as a specific person or business rather than creating an entirely new and unique business or person. Imitation is an important aspect of the scam.
A scammer looks to gain their victim’s trust by using the disguise of a charitable foundation, relying on the generosity of others. These scams can be effective during times of national hardship or with recent natural disasters. They may be person-to-person with a romance scam, where a scammer compliments and flatters their target to get them to drop their guard.
A scammer may offer a prize, want to pay for goods or services, or handle money in some way. The allure of a potential customer or a prize can often be largely disarming. Once the scammer has disarmed you and piqued your interest, they move to the next phase.
The scammer will move to their ultimate goal, which is to take your money or use some leverage to get you to pay. They may directly ask for money in the event that their supposed disguise is a charitable organization or to pay for goods or services.
A scammer using leverage against you will make threats or offer a solution to your issue and ask for payment as a means to end the issue. Providing money is the trap and, when provided, makes the scam successful.
At some point during a scam, a scammer may have compromised your personal information. This is either a necessity on their part to use as leverage against you or to access financial records.
Identity theft is a large issue affecting many of the population. Today, online scammers will target individuals on dating sites, social media, businesses, and the general public based on records they can find online.
Many people are shocked at just how much information about themselves can be found online. People can be easily found online with a few key details. These details exist on social media or professional platforms or can be found by searching for information you’ve made public on an account.
A username or email address can sometimes link to other personal information, allowing a scammer to compile more and more information until they’ve discovered as much as they can about you. Scammers will use this information to their advantage to perform their scams.
Like other romance scams, the perpetrator uses a catfish account to prey on their victims. They use pictures of a different person and a different name as a barrier to hide their true identity.
Oftentimes, they will collect as many images as they can from one individual to use as a passable background on the individual. They tend to impersonate appealing people, creating attractive profiles with profiles that are most likely to get responses from their victims.
Escort scams use real or fake escort agencies to steal money from victims. They deceive their target by ensuring there is payment with no services rendered or imposing a fear of exposure. Escort agencies are legal companies that provide services of companionship to social functions, accompany them on a date, or for simple conversations.
There are escort agencies that blur the legal lines and some that pose to be legitimate but are actually scams. Scammers will use an escort agency as a front or provide a listing on another website to entice a victim into providing money. These scams can take place online with no interaction or even cross over to in-person encounters.
To identify an escort scam, we’ll need to familiarize ourselves with the types commonly used. While the ultimate goal of an escort scam is to get your money, the means by which it does so can vary depending on the scammer, their location, and their means of carrying out the attack.
Let’s take a look at different types of escort scam:
One version of the escort scam doesn’t even involve prior interaction from the victim in any way. There have been reports of a victim’s pictures and information being used, with slanderous information being posted on what appears to be an escort service.
The victim is then contacted about their information with an offer to help remove the information from the site for a fee. This incriminating, false information can destroy a person’s relationship and social standing without them even being aware.
A depositing scam occurs when payment is requested before any escort service has been performed. The scammer will ask for a deposit to retain the date or service of an escort in advance. Those looking to hire a legitimate escort service may be deceived into thinking this standard practice can be applied to the fake escort service they want.
A deposit is required for legitimate businesses to hold a date and person available for you. A listing on an unmonitored listing site or fake company will take your money and disappear, with few options for recourse depending on how the money was paid or if there is fear of exposure over the service paid for.
The bait and switch scam can occur with in-person scams that may even occur through legitimate companies. The victim meets with an escort based on photos or a description that doesn’t end up matching who they meet.
Then, the victim is pressured to either follow through with their date or pay a cancellation fee. Either way, the business is operating a scam that may not be reported due to the trouble of reporting or fear of drawing attention to themselves.
Another in-person scam occurs when a victim meets their escort and the scammer asks for cash upfront. With the money exchanged, the scammer will leave with services not rendered. This in-person scam uses cash because it can’t be traced, and any complaints that services weren’t rendered would be hard to prove if the scammer can even be traced.
Some scammers may opt for a crude approach of blatant robbery. This can be when a scammer is catfishing and will have their victim agree to meet them in a location away from people or cameras.
There are a few key details to avoid becoming a part of an escort scam. Never provide sensitive information or payment to an individual. A legitimate escort service should be properly researched and vetted before hiring them.
A legal escort service will have reviews and even business licenses that can be looked up in advance. Your state, county, or city should have a way to search a company to find that they’re a legitimate company.
Don’t share explicit content with an individual offering escort services. Scammers may try to convince you to provide explicit content in the form of photos, videos, or text. They may enter into a live video call to encourage the behavior by providing explicit content that may or may not be of them.
If you provide content of your own, the scammer can screenshot and screen record you to use as extortion material. They will use the content as a ransom to expose you to your family, friends, work, or in some public place.
Tighten your privacy settings on all social media platforms. Any scammer who engages in an escort scam or romance scam may attempt to find you on social media, view your friends, and begin social engineering to connect the dots on who you are.
By tightening your security and showing limited information to the public, you become much harder to find. Avoid sharing sensitive or personal details of any kind on social media. Scammers look for indications about where you live, who you associate with, when your birthday is, where you work, and even the names of pets.
Scammers will hide behind fake profiles, throw away emails, and create fake personas. They will go out of their way to build trust with you and will be very persistent. They may begin to track you after first contact and even use other fake accounts to send friend requests to get through the barriers of privacy settings you set up on social media.
Even with your due diligence toward security, you may need to listen to your gut. If something feels off or amiss, it’s better to walk away than to ignore that instinct.
A person or business will use flattery and persuasion to get what they want. It’s wise to keep your guard up at all times. Even if a person proves they are real in a video chat, do not provide any content that could be used against you.
With escort scams, the main goal of the scammer is to secure money. Depending on the methods of the scam, there may be an element of blackmail if materials are provided. This leverage is used to receive money from their victims for fear of exposure to friends, family, or work.
More often than not, a scammer will not make good on threats of exposure for two main reasons. The first reason is that if they follow through with their threats they’ve lost their ability to take your money. Scammers depend on the element of intimidation to force their victims to pay up.
The second reason escort scammers will likely not expose their victims is that it will draw attention to them. A scammer does not want the heat of law enforcement, the FBI, or government agencies investigating them.
If you’ve been the victim of an escort scam, there are moves you can take to protect yourself. Each step is important in ensuring your safety and minimizing the potential damage the scammers can cause.
Handling an escort scam on your own is a difficult task, one that can require a more experienced hand. Seeking help is the first step to taking control of the situation and ensuring no further damage is done. Digital Forensics is experienced in handling situations of blackmail and extortion when it comes to romance scams.
At Digital Forensics, we offer 24/7 service and provide a team of experienced professionals. Our team is made up of forensics engineers, social engineering experts, and lawyers who specialize in cybercrime.
With most escort scams taking place online, we can help track the scammers through their digital footprint. We use proprietary technology to track down perpetrators, minimize the damage, and keep your privacy secured. Sources:
What are some common types of scams? | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Caller ID Spoofing | FCC
Victims of Identity Theft, 2021 | Bureau of Justice Statistics
Scam Alerts | IC3.gov
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