Police warning the public after Rhode Island victim scammed out of $100,000

A recent Coventry Police Department case revealed just how devastating online dating scams can be.

According to police, a victim was scammed out of over $100,000 by someone posing as “John William” on the dating site Plenty of Fish.

The scammer convinced the victim to send money through gift cards, wire transfers, and Bitcoin over several months.

Be cautious when dating online:

Never send money to someone you’ve never met in person.

Be wary of requests for gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency.

Trust your instincts – if something seems off, it probably is.

This is unfortunately just one example of the many different ways that criminals are looking to steal your money.