A Greeley woman learned the hard way that her hero was a zero, and that’s how much she’s liable to recoup from the $1,700 she gave him.
The Weld County District Attorney’s Office did not release her name but said her tale of heartbreak — financial and otherwise — is a cautionary tale.
Using the free online dating site — which stands for Plenty of Fish — the woman met a person who claimed to be a special-operations military man.
He provided her only a Facebook page, which featured a photo and one friend, and said he could not communicate with her by phone because of his secret military work.
Smitten nonetheless, the woman provided her Social Security number, driver’s license number and other personal information, so that her mystery military man could make her his beneficiary, the district attorney’s office said.
He responded with flowers and candy sent to her home address, then followed up with a request for $1,700 to pay for special training and travel. He asked that she use Western Union to wire the money to another woman, who was connected to his secret military operation.
He soon asked for more money, and the woman grew suspicious and called police.
The case is under investigation, but online dating tips provided by the Weld County District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday noted, “Never wire money to someone you don’t know. Once the money is sent, it’s gone forever.”
In a statement, Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck said, “This particular scam takes advantage of new technology, but uses well-known tactics.
“The scammer establishes a relationship, creates a sense of urgency and asks for help. An online love interest who asks for money is almost always a con artist.”
People who use online dating sites should always be on the lookout for such scammers. Red flags include people who have only one phone and will communicate online only but falls in love quickly and soon after needs money urgently.
If the person routinely forgets past conversations or asks the same questions in separate conversations, it could be a sign that person is courting several victims at once.
Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174, jbunch@denverpost.com or
