The Specifics

• In romance scams there are generally two types of victim — the person whose identity is exploited and the person who is financially manipulated.

• Identity theft victims tend to be people who hold positions of trust, such as military service members, veterans and doctors. Some victims have had their images used in hundreds of scams.

• The Purported location of the scammer is always far from where the real person actually resides. The scammer may or may not use the identify theft victim's real name.

• Scam victims tend to be elderly and/or people who have recently lost spouses or children. Scammers look for people they identify to be lonely and vulnerable.

• Authorities are tracking multiple romance scam gangs operating out of West Africa, particularly Nigeria, a country where computer savvy criminals have cooked up a wide range of Internet scams.

• West Africa is not the only source of romance scams. There have also been cases emanating from Canada, Ghana, India, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

• In some situations the victim may be unknowingly recruited as a “money mule,” someone who transfers funds illegally. Money from romance scams has also been diverted to extremist groups like Boko Haram.

• Outdated or non-existent laws and lax enforcement mean tech firms can profit off romance scams and face scant liability.