Arizona tops the list of states where victims of online romance scams reside
According to internet investigation agency Social Catfish, Arizona was number five in the US for the amount of victims taken advantage of by online romance scams. In these scams, the perpetrator assumes a false online persona in an attempt to win the confidence and affection of the victim.
More than 800 victims in Arizona may have lost more than $22 million, according to recent data. This put Arizona at the top of a national list, despite the fact that it is down 26% from 2022.
In 2023, the average victim of romance scams in Arizona lost over $27,000.
In order to help people prevent online fraud, Social Catfish gathered this most recent data to determine the extent of the harm these scams do. The service examined 10 million users of its website who performed reverse searches, together with FBI and FTC data that was made public in 2024.
Less than the average Arizonan, the FTC claimed that the average American lost almost $2,000 to these scams. That represents the greatest loss ever recorded for any kind of imposter scam.
The FTC further stated that victims of romance scams may suffer disastrous financial losses.
In 2024, deepfake video calls, cryptocurrency, and celebrity deepfakes will be the top three romance frauds to stay away from. Fraudsters are finding it much simpler to empty bank accounts thanks to artificial intelligence.
Fake Video Calls
Deepfake video calls with real-time face swapping are the first scam to be aware of. According to Social Catfish, a Nigerian criminal organization known as the “Yahoo Boys” uses face swapping technology to make real-time video conversations while impersonating the person in their fictitious internet profile.
Look out for abnormal blinking, uneven skin tone, words that don’t match lip movements, and more to prevent this.
Romance/crypto scams
Social Catfish claimed that after establishing trust, the con artist offers a cryptocurrency investment that promises significant profits. The funds are sent to the criminal’s cryptocurrency wallet via a phony exchange.
The con artist can even fabricate an emergency and demand payment in cryptocurrency. Verify identify with a reverse image search to steer clear of this one. Furthermore, never send cryptocurrency to an unknown recipient.
False Romance Among Celebrities
Deepfake technology is being used more frequently to trick online victims into falling in love with people they mistake for celebrities. A lady lost $50,000, according to Social Catfish, after falling for a deepfake image of Elon Musk.
Remember to always assume that any celebrity requesting money from an unknown individual on the internet is a scammer. In addition to having few followers, fake celebrity social media accounts lack blue checkmarks.