Harrisburg, Pa. (WHTM) -- According to the FBI, romance scams often target people from their late 50s to mid-60s who are lonely and isolated.
AARP says while romance scams can vary there are common signs you can look out for.
They profess love to quickly: the scammers often tell victims they are their soul mate or profess undying devotion after a short time.
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They're flirtatious: scammers will use over-the-top language calling victims "honey" and "babe" and other pet names.
They're identity thieves: the scammers often take another person's photos from the web and pretend to be that person. The FBI says doing a reverse-image search of a photo could help you reveal if that is happening.
The scammers are two-timers: they often pursue multiple victims at the same time.
In Person-meetings never happen: they are always promising to visit in person but visits are always postponed because of an unforeseen event; like an unexpected hospitalization or delayed flight.
They need money to fix a problem: they will ask for gift cards, prepaid cards, wire transfers or crypto currency, and if you don't provide the money suddenly they are no longer in love and move on to the next victim.
AARP says never send money to a romantic interest you've never met in person.
If you are the victim of a romance scam report it to the FBI and your financial institution. In some cases, money sent by wire can be recovered if the fraud is reported immediately.
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