- You make contact and build a relationship. This can last for several months and this eventually leads to the fraudster asking if you can get some money to come to Sweden and visit, says Linda Fransson, investigator at the fraud department at the Bergslagen Police Region.
It has been seen that the fraudster often pretends to be an American doctor or a high ranking military. And the money often disappears abroad, which makes it difficult for the police to investigate the crimes.
What can you do if you are contacted by someone on the internet?
- You should be attentive and not pay money to someone you have not met. Then you can look up the person by searching the internet, both on the name and the picture. Real people are often found on the internet, so if you do not find the person, it probably is not.
Romance scams are not common when compared to other types of fraud, but those who are often hit very badly, says Linda Fransson, who also believes that there can be a dark figure because you can feel stupid for being fooled and then not reports the crime.