As the festive season wraps its arms around the city, the Denver Police Department is sounding the alarm on romance scams, which are reportedly surging as the holidays approach. In a recent social media warning, authorities have highlighted this trend of heartless fraudsters playing the love card to worm their way into wallets. "Romance scams often spike this time of year," the department's post read, detailing how impostors feign affection to gain trust, and then cash.
The police warn that these swindlers typically profess love swiftly and conjure up reasons to avoid face-to-face meetings, or they might claim to be serving overseas or in the military to explain their unavailability. The alerts, shared in a Facebook post by the Denver Police Department, also pointed to the classic signs: requests for money for supposed emergencies, travel, gifts, and the pressure to get off dating sites and continue the conversation elsewhere.
Alongside identifying these red flags, the Denver Police Department has also offered advice on how to ward off potential scams. They urge never to send money or gift cards to someone you've never physically met, to remain skeptical of those dodging video chats or meetings, and to consult with someone close to you when your gut tells you something's amiss. “Let’s keep the holidays merry and scam-free!” the post concludes, as per the Denver Police Department, reminding citizens to report any suspicious love scamming to law enforcement or the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
