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Scammers hope you'll swipe right on dating apps this Valentine's Day

Don't let your next Valentine be a scammer
Posted at 10:40 PM, Feb 13, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-14 08:31:39-05

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — If you're turning to a dating app to find your next Valentine experts say beware of scammers who are hoping to strike a match. According to the Better Business Bureau, people tend to lose the most money through romance scams.

With people spending more time at home these days, some are turning to popular dating sites and apps like Tinder. Once you swipe right on a scammer using a fake profile they may lure you onto another texting app like WhatsApp or WeChat. From there they will eventually ask for money- whether it be for a family emergency or personal issue.

"What traditionally has happened is they'll ask for gift cards or some other form of payment, but what we've seen recently is a switch over to cryptocurrency and asking for cryptocurrency specifically within those romance scams," said Marketing and Communications Manager for the Better Business Bureau of Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky, Caleb Nix.

For many scammers cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin, is the preferred method of payment because once received, the money is easy to keep and harder for the victim to get back.