South African catfish scammers made R134-million in a year!
There might be a lot of fish in the sea but not all of them are a catch.
Have you ever looked at someone's online dating profile and thought, "This person is too good to be true"?
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Not to be those pessimistic, people, but sometimes it just is.
It's good to remain positive in the internet dating world but with so many virtual love horror stories it's hard not to become a bit skeptical as time goes on.
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One needs to have a good balance between naivety and optimism.
Also, have you watched an episode of 'Catfish: The TV Show'? It's scarier than half of the horror movies we've seen and more suspenseful than all of Liam Neeson's movies put together. A truly terrifying combination.
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Just watch this trailer for one of their MANY seasons:
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But like many things in this world, catfish scammers do not discriminate and they don't worry about crossing borders.
This means that while we like to think of these major scams are only taking place in England or America, it is very much a reality in our own backyard.
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The number of online scammers and catfish who create these profiles to attract and defraud people has also increased in the last year. Seeing as most people are working from home, they might be more lonely and more likely to interact with strangers on the internet.
Any real estimate of how many people are victims of these types of romance scams is likely even higher because people are too embarrassed to report the crime to authorities.
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Although seeking human interaction and love shouldn't be something you should be embarrassed about no matter what the outcome of the situation was.
Unfortunately, we might get too swept up in the moment, fall in love, and want to prove it in some way, making these types of victims prize targets for these scammers looking to make a quick buck.
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Techshielder.com is a website that reviews online security and they recently released a terrifying report on the cost of catfishing scams.
The site estimates that these dating scams have cost victims around the world around R3.1-billion in the last year.
Here is a ranking of the top 20 countries with the highest reported catfish scams, with South Africa coming in at number 18:
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South Africa had around 190 cases of reported catfish scams in the past year and the total amount it cost the victims was R134-million.
The saddest part is that although SA only accounts for 2% of the world's reported catfish cases, the victims are defrauded out of a higher amount compared to other countries.
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South African victims are scammed out of an average of R701,000 - which is three times the global average!
In today's society, it's normal to meet and build a relationship online, especially during a pandemic. There are people out there who will take advantage of those looking for love, thus before you fall for the whirlwind that is love or send any money, look out for any red flags. If it's too good to be true, then it usually is.
So let this be a tiny warning to all the lovebirds out there.
If your virtual date wants some cash money dollars, meet them first.
Main image courtesy of iStock