How to avoid catfishing scams on dating apps, social media after Illinoisans lost $20M

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Here is a quick catfish tip.

Romance scams using fake photos are skyrocketing. They're up more than 80% in the last five years.

The Federal Trade Commission said victims have lost a staggering $1.3 billion dollars. According to a new study by SocialCatfish, Illinois is the 13th most "catfished" state, with victims losing a record $20 million in 2021.

Never provide your bank account or routing number or send wire transfers to anyone on a dating app.

Don't let someone you just met online invest your money. If you want to invest in Crypto, do the research on your own.

Catfish aren't just on dating apps anymore! Watch out for scammers on all social media platforms and in direct messages.

When in doubt, run a reverse image search on profile pictures to see if that picture is being used on other platforms with different names.

Also, try to meet up with a prospective date fairly soon after connecting in a public, safe space to weed out the fakes.

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