A woman was conned out of €90,000 by a man she met online believing that he needed the money for his business.
It is one of a number of examples gardai are using to warn that "there is an ever increasing link between romance fraud and investment fraud" in Ireland.
In this case, a 51-year-old female believed she was in an online relationship with a male, she agreed to transfer €90,000 to him in the belief that it was a loan for his business. She now believes this to be a case of fraud.
It comes at the same time Netflix's Tinder Swindler takes the world by storm, with it being the most viewed show in Ireland at the moment.
The true story is being replicated across Ireland with the gardai listing multiple examples of how people were swindled by apparent partners online.
In another case, a 41-year-old female was contacted by a male claiming to be a well-known musician, she became romantically involved online and was defrauded of over €26,000.
A 65-year-old female contacted Gardaí to report that she was at the loss of €35,000, as a result of meeting a male through social media. Throughout their online relationship she was convinced to purchase stream cards and send the codes directly onto her male friend, subsequently she then transferred money to various accounts in Malaysia.
A 38-year-old male reported that he began engaging online with a female. The female stated she needed money to return home from Mexico. The male sent €3,800 to female via Bitcoin in one transaction.
Gardai say more than 70% of romance fraud victims are women.
A garda spokesperson said: "Romance fraudsters may try to get their victims to send them money using the following excuses:
• To cover the cost of travelling to see the victim
• For emergency medical expenses for the scammer or a family member — typically a child
• A business opportunity which would allow them to live together comfortably
"There is an ever increasing link between romance fraud and investment fraud. In many cases, scammers will ask victims to invest in a fraudulent scheme or business.
"Such investments ultimately see the funds transferred to the fraudster through a number of linked accounts. Members of the public are advised to be vigilant as there are huge risks involved in investing in cryptocurrencies and not to share any money with someone they meet through online websites or apps and to get professional and legal advice before investing."
