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Interpol has warned users eager to communicate in quarantine about the financial fraud scheme.
Cybercriminals are enjoying the growing popularity of dating apps like Tinder, Match, Bumble, and others, whose user base has increased significantly during the coronavirus pandemic. Users thirsty for communication under quarantine conditions are a "tidbit" for cyber fraudsters, Interpol warns.
The Financial Crimes Investigation Unit receives complaints from around the world about dating app fraud, according to the Interpol press office. In this regard, Interpol sent 194 countries around the world the so-called "Purple Notice", in which it urged users of dating applications to be very careful and not be too gullible in online relationships.
The fraudulent scheme is carried out in several stages. At the first stage, the attackers get to know the potential victim in the application (the name of the platform was not specified by Interpol). When communication becomes regular and the victim has a certain level of trust, the scammers begin to advise her on how to invest. Then they persuade her to install an application supposedly for trading.
Then the scammers convince the victim to buy various “financial products” and move up the so-called investment chain. They are made to believe that they can attain "gold" or "VIP" status. After the victim transfers a certain amount to the cybercriminals, all contacts with her are terminated, and her account in the application is blocked.
"Purple Card" - Interpol notification about the methods, procedures, objects, devices or caches used by criminals. In addition to the "purple card", there are also cards of other colors: red (notification of the need for immediate arrest), yellow (notification of the search for the missing person), blue (notification of the need to control the movements of the suspect), green (warning about the activities of a dangerous person), black ( information about unidentified bodies) and orange (warning of an event or person of danger).
Cybercriminals are enjoying the growing popularity of dating apps like Tinder, Match, Bumble, and others, whose user base has increased significantly during the coronavirus pandemic. Users thirsty for communication under quarantine conditions are a "tidbit" for cyber fraudsters, Interpol warns.
The Financial Crimes Investigation Unit receives complaints from around the world about dating app fraud, according to the Interpol press office. In this regard, Interpol sent 194 countries around the world the so-called "Purple Notice", in which it urged users of dating applications to be very careful and not be too gullible in online relationships.
The fraudulent scheme is carried out in several stages. At the first stage, the attackers get to know the potential victim in the application (the name of the platform was not specified by Interpol). When communication becomes regular and the victim has a certain level of trust, the scammers begin to advise her on how to invest. Then they persuade her to install an application supposedly for trading.
Then the scammers convince the victim to buy various “financial products” and move up the so-called investment chain. They are made to believe that they can attain "gold" or "VIP" status. After the victim transfers a certain amount to the cybercriminals, all contacts with her are terminated, and her account in the application is blocked.
"Purple Card" - Interpol notification about the methods, procedures, objects, devices or caches used by criminals. In addition to the "purple card", there are also cards of other colors: red (notification of the need for immediate arrest), yellow (notification of the search for the missing person), blue (notification of the need to control the movements of the suspect), green (warning about the activities of a dangerous person), black ( information about unidentified bodies) and orange (warning of an event or person of danger).