Romance scam with gift cards: Police in eastern Hesse issue warning after Kalbach case
A woman from Kalbach in Germany spent months sending gift card codes to a supposed admirer. Police warn of romance scams via messaging apps and list typical warning signs.
Symbolic image · Photo: 3df / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Police in eastern Hesse, Germany, have warned of so-called love scamming – fraud using feigned romance. The warning follows a case in the municipality of Kalbach: between June 28 and Oct. 26, a woman received messages via various messaging services from a person who claimed to be in love with her and repeatedly asked for money. She bought gift cards and sent the codes to the perpetrators. Only later did she realize she had been defrauded. Police did not disclose the amount lost.
Police list typical signs: first contact is often made through social media or dating platforms, the fraudsters usually write in good English or German, and they shower their victims with compliments and effusive declarations of love early on. Male scammers often wear uniforms in photos, while female scammers lure with an attractive appearance.
If in doubt, police advise not to respond to demands and never to transfer money, to save all emails and chats as evidence, to file a complaint and to cut off contact. If codes have already been passed on, the gift card provider should be informed as quickly as possible, according to the portal Verbraucherschutzforum. "Speak openly about what happened – anyone can become a victim," police urge.
This article is for information only and is not legal, tax, financial or medical advice. Figures as of the date stated.