A woman on Vancouver Island lost $20,000 after falling victim to a romance scam.

According to the Oak Bay Police, they received a report of a romance scam on Aug. 8, 2023. 

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The woman told investigators that over the course of eight months, she was coerced and manipulated by a man she met online. 

Police said the victim was in the process of sending even more money to the man when her financial planner intervened, questioning the decision to send such a large amount of money to someone she had never met in person.

The file is still under investigation, but police would like to remind people to familiarize themselves with anti-fraud tips.

Scammers will use any means necessary to convince you that they are legitimate, says the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. 

Some red flags to look out for in romance scams include:

• when someone you haven’t met in person professes their love to you
• if the person wants to quickly move to a private or different mode of communication (email, text, Whatsapp, Google Hangouts etc.)
• if they always have an excuse not to meet in person
• if you receive poorly/oddly written messages, sometimes even addressing you by the wrong name
• if the individual claims to live close to you but is working overseas
• if they act distressed or angry to guilt you into sending money
• if the individual discourages you from discussing them or their situation with your friends and family (attempting to isolate you from those who may be suspicious of the relationship)