{"id":540,"date":"2025-10-18T20:33:06","date_gmt":"2025-10-18T20:33:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/refundauthority.com\/?p=540"},"modified":"2026-03-18T20:35:36","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T20:35:36","slug":"red-flags-for-romance-scams-that-ontario-police-want-you-to-know-about","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/refundauthority.com\/?p=540","title":{"rendered":"Red flags for romance scams that Ontario police want you to know about\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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They might have an exotic job \u2014 on an oil rig, as a military member stationed abroad, or as a doctor working with an international organization.\u00a0<\/p>

They\u2019ll claim to feel deeply connected to you, even to love you \u2014 but can\u2019t meet up. Ever.\u00a0<\/p>

Then, suddenly, they\u2019ll come to you with an emergency requiring an immediate money transfer, or with an enticing investment opportunity.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

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It\u2019s at this point that law enforcement hopes people will think twice\u00a0and avoid joining an increasingly large group of Canadians: romance scam victims.\u00a0<\/p>

WATCH | A look at who\u2019s conning Canadians:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
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\"\"<\/div>

Bad Romance: Who\u2019s Conning Canadians?<\/p>

\u00a0<\/div>February 10, 2024<\/span>|
Duration<\/span>22:30<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Investigating a long-term con that combines investment schemes, romance scams and crypto fraud. We meet those who\u2019ve lost their life savings and reveal many of the perpetrators are forced to scam.<\/span><\/span><\/div>

\u201cIt\u2019s really quite prevalent,\u201d said Ontario Provincial Police Det.-Const.\u00a0John Armit, who has investigated romance scams for the past 11 years. \u201cThey are exploiting people who want newfound love.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>

In 2024, Canadians reported $58 million in romance scam losses to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.\u00a0<\/p>

That\u2019s up substantially from pre-pandemic levels.\u00a0In 2018, the scams cost Canadians $22.5 million. In 2017, it was closer to $17 million.\u00a0<\/p>

AI tools help scammers lie<\/h2>

Not only are the scams more common, Armit says, they\u2019re\u00a0also more sophisticated,\u00a0helped along by artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, and the rise of online dating.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>

When the request for money is made, moving it via a cryptocurrency transfer makes it \u201cvirtually impossible to get back,\u201d said Armit \u2014 though there are\u00a0some exceptions in which money is recovered.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>

To get people to believe in their new online relationships, scammers will also use AI \u201cto spoof an image and a voice\u201d or to write scripts for scammers to follow, he said.<\/p>

\"John<\/picture><\/div>
Det.-Const. John Armit, from the OPP, says victims of romance scams range in age from young people all the way to retirees.\u00a0(Patrick Louiseize\/Radio-Canada)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

A recent high profile example of a romance scam in France relied heavily on AI-generated images and videos of actor Brad Pitt, convincing a woman in her 50s they were in a relationship.\u00a0<\/p>

She was ultimately conned out of more than \u20ac830,000, about $1.25 million Canadian dollars.\u00a0<\/p>

\u201cWhat I think it tells us is that hope really does spring eternal. People believe in fairy tales. People want a happy ending,\u201d said fraud prevention expert Vanessa Iafolla.\u00a0<\/p>

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\u201cScammers are expert psychologists.\u201d<\/p>

Be\u00a0skeptical, expert says<\/h2>

Meanwhile, the number of victims continues to grow.<\/p>

Police in Ontario are currently looking for a man who is alleged to have swindled nearly a dozen victims while claiming to be a military member stationed overseas.\u00a0<\/p>

Police say that after sending out random friend requests on social media, he\u2019d begin talking with the people who accepted and established online relationships with them.\u00a0<\/p>