In these modern times of social media, dating sites, and online dating, we’re all aware of increased numbers of online romance frauds and scams. Unfortunately, it seems like online dating scams have become a very common part of our lives.
I think we’re all well aware of these facts. Now, the question that intrigues many of us or, it might be better to say, many victims of romance scams is, “Can a scammer fall in love with his victim?”
The truth is, it’s possible, but it only happens once in a blue moon. Most (read: almost all) of those kinds of online relationships start as scams and end the same way, as frauds.
Can A Scammer Fall In Love With His Victim? 4 Reasons Why He Can
Even though it’s rare, extremely rare, it’s possible for a scammer to fall in love with his victim. Here are a few valid reasons why it happens.
1. They spend so much time talking or texting
Scammers spend so much time on video calls and instant messages on WhatsApp or another social media platform with their victims because they want to gain their trust. Actually, they need it before they’re able to defraud them.
They can’t just ask someone for their phone number, financial information, credit card or bank account number, and other important information because they know they’ll be caught out. First, they get to know their victim well, earn their trust, and then they make their main aim happen.
However, throughout that process of catfishing and scamming, they tend to fall in love with their victim. They like what they hear, and spending time with that person only increases and deepens their romantic feelings.
2. They fall for their own illusions
These guys are classic conmen. They use fake identities and fake profiles on online dating sites to get to their victims and do anything just to gain their trust and then trick them into giving them what they want.
These men are pros at lying, and what they say to women simply sounds too good to be true. They persuade their victims into thinking that they’ll love them in a way no other man has ever loved them.
These con artists use different methods of manipulation and various types of scams to earn their trust. The funny thing is that they also fall for their own manipulation and start living in those fake dreams they invented.
They start catching feelings for their victim and believing in their own lies.
3. Sooner or later, they also get that feeling of wanting to settle down
Let’s face it, all human beings long for the feeling of being loved by someone. We all want to find our other halves, someone who’ll love us and stay by our side no matter what.
While they’re young, men may jump from relationship to relationship, and they may want to engage in casual relationships just to have some fun and for physical pleasure. However, eventually, they will meet a woman they want to settle down with.
And that’s exactly what a scammer may see in one of his victims… The perfect woman to settle down and start a family with.
He falls head over heels for her and forgets all about his scam. That love motivates him to change, and the only thing he starts thinking about is winning her over for good.
4. Their heart simply takes over their mind
The truth is, love happens when we least expect it. It can happen to all of us, anywhere and at any time.
No matter how smart or wise you are, you simply can’t prevent love from happening.
Their heart falls for their victim, and that’s when they stop thinking ‘rationally.’ They try to resist it, but their heart grows stronger with that love and blocks every attempt they make to silence their emotions.
Can A Scammer Fall In Love With His Victim? 3 Reasons Why It’s Not So Common
Fraudsters don’t like to mix business with pleasure. In other words, the probability of something like this happening is almost zero, and this is why:
1. Romance scammers choose their victims carefully
An undeniable fact is that these kinds of people are highly intelligent. After all, if they weren’t, they wouldn’t be able to scam so many people and get away with it.
However, what helps them get away with their crimes without being caught is that they choose their prey and victims very carefully. That’s why most victims of romance scams are widows and widowers, people with emotions they can extort, and victims of abuse.
2. They have anything but a love interest
Romance scammers may have many interests, but love is never one of them. For them, it’s only a job, and they almost never want to mix business with pleasure.
In fact, most of those fraudsters are already in a relationship, and that’s why they use those fake profiles to lure in their victims. They go undercover online because they don’t want their loved ones to know what they are doing and how they deceive people.
3. They know it would hardly ever become a healthy relationship
Last year, my best friend fell into the trap of an online romance scammer, and she almost got deceived. I know that we all don’t pay much attention to these stories but, trust me, it’s a whole different story when it happens to a loved one.
She fell hard for him and was devastated when she discovered that he wasn’t a real person. He actually admitted that he uses a fake profile to scam women and said he couldn’t carry on with his scam because he realized that she was a very good woman who didn’t deserve it.
I know this doesn’t happen very often. But he actually started catching romantic feelings for her and decided to admit to everything.
She still wanted to be with him, she wanted to forgive him and leave it all behind, but he couldn’t. He said that he knew she could never trust him completely and that their relationship would never be a healthy one.
The truth is, he was right. You can’t build a relationship on toxic foundations and expect it to be healthy and happy.
How Can You Tell A Romantic Scammer?
The most interesting thing about fraudsters is that they Google and investigate their victims before taking action. They try to collect important information about them that will help them get closer to their potential victim.
For example, if you’re a widow, they’ll try to find out how your husband died, when it happened, and then, they’ll try to offer you words of comfort and the hope every widow secretly longs for… of finding love again.
So, if you notice that they already know more information about you than you posted on your social media or dating website, it’s a tell-tale sign you’ve been their prey for a while.
They probably won’t ask you to send them money in the beginning. They’ll start with small gift cards just to make sure they’ve chosen the right person as their next victim.
If you accept, it’ll be a huge yes for them, and they will continue to trick you into sending them money through ways that can’t easily be traced.
If someone you’ve met online and never in person asks you for money, it’s a warning sign of a romance scam you should definitely look out for. It shows you that something is off and that you need to be extremely cautious with them.
How Do You Outsmart A Romance Scammer?
The fact is that the number of Americans who fall into the trap of romance scammers is increasing daily. That’s why we should all be more careful with social media sites, especially dating websites.
Take a better look at their profile. For example, you can try to Google their name and see what pops up about them.
Use their profile photo and run it through a reverse image search on Google. It’s a very powerful tool not many people know about, but it can uncover visually similar photos from around the web very quickly. So, if they have used a fake profile picture, this tool may help you uncover their fraud.
Invite them to hang out face-to-face. If they’re a real person, they’ll accept your invitation and meet with you. On the other hand, if they don’t accept and offer lame excuses, it’s a warning sign that they’re hiding something from you.
If you see any potential red flags, you should inform law enforcement. If you get scammed online, you need to submit a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
No one can guarantee that they’ll find the person who scammed you because, unfortunately, many of those crimes stay unsolved. However, your story may be a good warning for others to be more careful when sharing their personal information online.
In Closing
After everything you’ve read, what do you think the answer to the question, “can a scammer fall in love with his victim” is? Are these people even capable of loving someone?
Even though I think it’s possible, I wouldn’t get my hopes up if I were you. The truth is, even if he does fall for you, your relationship will never be healthy because those romance scams almost never end up with a happy ending.
Sooner or later, your heart will be broken, and you’ll blame yourself for allowing it. That’s something you will never be able to forgive yourself.