USPS warns of 'romance scams' ahead of Valentine's Day

HOUSTON - With Valentine’s Day approaching, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) want people to be aware they could be targeted for romance scams. 

These scammers prey on individuals who are looking for companionship. The relationships often start online, but frequently evolve to the scammer asking for money or valuables. 

How romance scams work

The scammers, or catfishes, create fake identities, often using stolen photos and fake personal details. They build online relationships over weeks or months, gaining trust through social media, dating apps, or email, and pledge their love early on.

Once they have a person's trust, they may come up with an urgent financial need. It could be a medical emergency, travel expenses or business problems. Anything they need to ask for money. 

The person is then pressured into sending cash, checks, gift cards or wire transfers to the scammer. This makes the recovery of funds difficult once the fraud is detected.

How to protect yourself

Dig deeper:

Be careful of online relationships that escalate quickly, especially if the other person avoids in-person meetings or video calls. Check the person's online profile and what information they share. Do an online search of the other person's name and the town they claim to live in.

As you get to know the other person, gently apply the brakes if your new friend pushes to take the conversation to private email. Stay on the website’s platform until it’s time to meet in person.

Never send money, checks, gift cards, or personal finance information to someone you haven’t met in person. Be suspicious of requests for secrecy or urgent financial help.

Remember to keep your personal information private.

If you think it’s a scam, cut off communication immediately and report it.

Red Flags

Indications that someone may not be who they say they are:

🚩 Their name and the name embedded in their email address does not match.

🚩 Obvious spelling and grammar errors.

🚩 The online profile suddenly disappears from the dating site.

🚩 They pledge their love way too quickly.

🚩 They ask you to send or receive money/packages.

🚩 They need money right away due to a medical or family emergency.

🚩 They need a Visa or plane ticket.

🚩 They claim a business opportunity arose that was too good to turn down, and they ask you to wire a loan.

Common Phrases used by Scammers

People conducting online impostor scams frequently spin the same lines or tell the same backstory over and over.

If an online love interest starts making declarations of undying devotion and churning out love poems, search for some of the lines on the Internet and see where they’ve been used before. 

Common phrases include:

• My child is being cared for by a nanny or guardian.
• My wife or husband is dead.
• My child is already calling you "mom" or "dad."
• You are my love or my darling.
• I cannot wait to be with you.

Ask for proof they're real

What you can do:

A legitimate love interest will understand if you ask for proof they are for real. Have them send you a photo with a specific item and a hand gesture of your choosing. Anything to prove the photo is current and who you're talking to. 

You can also do an online search of any photos they've already sent. If the search shows the photos have already been used in other places, it is time to "lay the evidence on the table," USPS officials say.

Don’t be surprised if they admit they are a scammer but "have fallen in love for real." That’s just another tactic, and a heavily recycled one.

If you feel you're being scammed, you should stop all communication and block any attempts by the scammer to communicate with you. Do not physically locate and confront the person who you believe has been scamming or trying to scam you.

Turn over everything, including copies of correspondence, to law enforcement and let them investigate.

If your bank or credit accounts were used, contact the bank and credit provider and the Social Security Administration. Put a credit alert or freeze on your accounts. 

What they're saying:

"Protecting the sanctity and integrity of the mail is our top priority," said USPIS Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale. "This includes protecting customers from mail-related crimes, including fraudulent schemes like romance scams. Public awareness is critical in stopping these criminals before they cause harm."

How to report mail fraud

If you are someone you know has been targeted by a romance scam involving the mail, report it to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at www.uspis.gov/report. Victims should also notify their local law enforcement agency and the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

HoustonTexasCrime and Public Safety