They start out as what looks to be a great match. A successful business man or business woman that travels a lot and they really think that the two of you are connecting. The picture looks good, the profile looks good, and the person is showing a lot of interest in you. You are receiving long emails, maybe poetry, and the person is saying how they really feel they have connected with you. About the time you reciprocate the feelings, the person has some sort of overseas “emergency” and they are hoping you can help out by sending some money or an item to them. Because you feel you know them, trust them, and share a “connection”, you feel the need to help out. The problem is…. it’s a scam. There are many red flags to look for in a scam, including:

1) You’ve never met the person face-to-face and they ask you for money or to send them something (like a laptop) due to an “emergency”.

2) They try to move the “relationship” quickly online to get you invested in it and trusting them.

3) They call you and have an accent you weren’t expecting, but continue to woo you over the phone.

4) They promise to meet with you when they “return” and aren’t available to meet now.

eHarmony has put together a video skit showing one of these types of situations. And like we always do, they warn you to be aware. Here’s the video:

eHarmony Safety Skit on Overseas Romance Scams

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzGVnEBDW08