Police warn about ‘romance scammers’

After a recent slew of financial scams in Windsor, local police are asking people to stay vigilant for a new kind of fraud.

They released information about a local woman who was swindled out of $1,900 in what police are calling a “romance scam.”

She met a man online who was claiming to be stationed overseas in the military. He asked her to send him $1,900 after he deposited two cheques worth $2,000 into her account. His cheques bounced.

Police said there are warning signs for online romance scammers. These scammers claim to have fallen in love without physically meeting, often claim to be overseas and ask for money for an emergency situation.

In a police update released on Dec. 12, police said “fraudsters try to instill a sense of urgency so it’s always important to slow things down and try to verify information by contacting the agency or person directly.”

For more information about romance scams, visit www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.