"Love scam" scam

Love-struck Liechtensteiners ripped off

Symbolic image.(Bild: canva)

Several people in the neighboring principality have fallen victim to the so-called "love scam" scam. The damage is enormous. People in Vorarlberg are also falling for love scams time and time again.

According to the Liechtenstein state police, the internet scammers have stolen several hundred thousand Swiss francs. The scammers, who are usually organized in professional gangs, are extremely perfidious in such cases, and the script always follows a similar pattern: people get to know each other over the Internet and build up a relationship, with communication taking place exclusively online or by telephone. As soon as the victims are fully emotionally involved, the supposed "dream partners" trick them into believing they are in financial difficulties. Sometimes it's about a plane ticket that is urgently needed, sometimes about "family members" who need help in an emergency. And, of course, the perpetrators assure you that they will repay the money.

And so they tell more and more lies and squeeze their victims like lemons. And at the bitter end, even the most gullible person has to admit that they have been taken advantage of. This hurts and is often associated with great shame, which is why many victims prefer to remain silent instead of reporting the crime to the police.

Caution is advised
In Vorarlberg, too, people fall for the "love scam" scam time and again. The police advise people to always be careful when making online acquaintances and to bear the following points in mind: Never transfer money to people you have never met or seen in person. And as soon as the apparent "dream partner" tries to exert pressure or even make subliminal threats, there is only one thing to do anyway: break off contact immediately!