Staying Safe Online

The dangers of the internet became real during a talk about romance scams as part of Open Access Week on Thursday, Oct. 26.  

Criminal justice experts provided audience members with data about these scams and guidance on how to not become a victim.  

Dr. Volkan Toplli, a Georgia State University professor, told the audience these scams are not new, but technology has given scammers greater access to potential victims.  

"Intimacy-based romance scams are a part of a larger criminal landscape. Technology has accelerated crime and the rate of change that it happens," Toplli said. "Crime being accelerated by technology is becoming more prevalent." 

The FBI's website states that in 2021, there were 24,000 victims across the United States who had reported losing approximately $1 billion to romance scams.  

Toplli said with technology continually evolving; a person does not have to be a computer expert to do these types of scams, that often play on people's emotions.  

"You don't have to be an expert hacker; you just have to know software platforms like Facebook, WeChat, Instagram or TikTok," Toplli said. "With these platforms, I can send a link to 10,000 people and get 100 people to respond. That is easy money." 

Toplli shared that scammers also use deepfake technology regularly to perpetrate a crime from their homes. Through this technology, it can create convincing images, audio, and video hoaxes that appear on the surface to be genuine.  

One example of a deepfake video was reported on by NPR in March 2022. The deepfake video depicted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy telling his troops to lay down their arms and surrender. The video was later debunked.  

Another common tactic in romance scams is through chatting platforms. Through this type of scam, people pay around 10 cents per chat to keep the person online as long as possible. Personal information is written down so the conversation can continue with another person in a seamless transition.  

Toplli stated that with the evolution of artificial intelligence, chatting scam sites will get worse. Instead of one person scamming a few people at a time through a conversation, an AI can talk to thousands of people. Switching to an AI increases the scammers' profit margin as well.  

To stay safe online, the FBI encourages people to be careful about the information they post online because it could be used against them by scammers. Also, use reputable websites, but be mindful of scammers who use these dating or social media sites.  

If you develop a romantic relationship with someone you meet online, consider the following: 

• Research the person's photo and profile using online searches to see if the material has been used elsewhere. 

• Go slow and ask lots of questions. 

• Beware if the individual seems too perfect or quickly asks you to leave a dating service or Facebook to go "offline." 

• Beware if the individual attempts to isolate you from friends and family or requests inappropriate photos or financial information that could later be used to extort you. 

• Beware if the individual promises to meet in person but then always comes up with an excuse why they can't. If you haven't met the person after a few months, for whatever reason, you have good reason to be suspicious. 

• And most importantly, never send money to anyone you don't know personally.  

If you suspect an online relationship is a scam, stop all contact immediately. And if you are the victim of a romance scam, file a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.