The month of June, during which LGBT pride marches take place around the world, was an opportunity for the Federal Trade Commission (the American agency for the application of consumer law and the control of anticompetitive business practices) to recall the dangers of online dating.
In an attempt to help dating site users be more informed and less naive, the FTC details the two most common types of “romance” scams. Romance scams can be, for example, tricks deployed by cybercriminals who court their victims under a false identity, over a long period of time, often by illustrating their profile with images of someone else. For weeks, months, or even years, they build an entirely fictional, but apparently totally serious, relationship online. They may even propose marriage along the way. During this time, they will have had the opportunity several times to ask their victims for financial assistance, which may concern the payment of Internet connection subscriptions, or other, but also higher expenses, such as paying for a ticket. plane, or even care for loved ones.
Another type of scam is called “sextortion”. This consists of blackmailing victims by threatening to broadcast screenshots showing the victim watching porn online, or in a situation of nudity. Scammers may claim (not true) that they acquired their “evidence” by planting malware on the victim’s computer, which gives remote access to the webcam.
Finally, there is a third form of scam, which is a mixture of the other two, in which, thanks to the link established, the scammer would have had access to intimate images of his victims, which he uses to blackmail.
FTC warning to the LGBTQ+ community
People using LGBT dating sites would be, according to the FTC, particularly vulnerable targets, because some of them do not want their sexual identity to be revealed. To avoid being tricked, it is crucial to check that the interlocutor uses real photos of him on his account. To do this, a reverse image search must be carried out. This can help verify that the person in question is really who they claim to be.
In France, a case of sextortion ended tragically last year: a pensioner decided to end his life under the pressure of a cyberstalker who had naked photos, and who threatened to make them public.
The FTC recalls that it is possible to report cases of online blackmail on the European site Europol. It is also possible to go to the official platform of the Ministry of the Interior to file your report, but also to contact the site or the social network concerned in the event of the existence of a private video which has been broadcast. It is also necessary to block the cyber crook and report his account.