Romance scams

This is a very prolific scam orchestrated by mainly Nigerian nationals, we are seeing copy cats trying to access the arena, and however we can clearly see the distinction. Royal Investigations had been at the forefront of numerous Romance scam investigations and profiling. What is romance scam?

Romance scams is when you meet someone on Tinder or dating websites and start conversing and showing interest, this person would usually be in a profession such as a engineer who’s originally from Italy or United States of America working in South Africa. He would share pictures of him dining in expensive restaurants, participating in hiking, supporting his children at sport events, etc.

Their main target is widows or divorcees, immediately he will be the man you were looking for your entire life ‘’MR PERFECT’’. He would do the smaller things, message you ‘’goodnight my love’’, providing the attention you never had, this is when you fall in love with this person. He would never engage in a video call because ‘’his phone fell and his camera is dysfunctional’’, he would claim to own expensive property and working on projects worth millions of rands.

Well……..once he gained your trust, he start coming up with various stories, anything from ‘’he was hijacked in Johannesburg’’ or he had a ‘’freak accident’’ and his money is tied up overseas therefore he need your assistance to pay medical bills or he need a expensive part imported but his bank account is faulty and ask you to advance the funds. Well….this is a never ending story and before you know it, you are bankrupt and lost your entire life savings or inheritance.

This is when you realize this whole story was a form of theft and this Italian/American was indeed a Nigerian living a lavish lifestyle with your proceeds. He used pictures he extracted from the internet to entice you and create a character in line with what females perceives as the ‘’perfect man’’.

We go after romance scammers also known as Tinder Swindlers, we understand their modus operandi and how they launder the funds, use diversions to hide their identity. Royal Investigations managed to arrest the most prolific syndicate in South Africa within few weeks, we possess a database of known romance scammers and profiles. Royal Investigations are recognized as experts in the field and the pioneers in the successful cases we brought against romance scammers.

How to prevent falling victim:

• Before engaging or proving personal information to someone you NEVER met in person, request a video call, if this request is denied or any apparent reason move on.
• NEVER expose your vulnerabilities
• NEVER discuss your financial position
• Be very vague about your education or employment
• DON’T be naïve