ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (WHAT THE TECH?) — Romance scams are as old as the internet and the FBI says these scams are responsible for taking half a billion dollars from victims.

You’re probably thinking, “How do people fall for these things?” Well, the scammers are really good at it.

You get a flirty text message from someone looking for someone else they met. Your first impulse, is telling them they have the wrong number, like I did with this one.

They’ll strike up a conversation. They’ll text for days to gain trust. At some point, they’ll ask you to send them money.

If you get suspicious and ask if it’s a scam, they offer to meet in person. But they’ll never show, always saying something came up. They might ask for money for a plane ticket.

So how do you spot the cupid con artists? Just like dating in real life, there are red flags.

Are there misspelled words or bad grammar in their messages? Do they look like a model in the picture they sent?

Search for it using tineye.com, Google, or the website “social catfish”. I uploaded this pic the scammer texted me. Social Catfish, a company that verifies online identities using reverse search technology, found it online. She isn’t Joan who texted me, but an Instagram model. The scammer simply swiped the photo from the internet.

If you’re using a dating app, don’t use the same profile photo that you use on social media. They can do a reverse search of your photo to find you on Facebook. To see where you live, photos, and your friends.

If you have a friend or family member who might be looking for love or are on the apps, warn them. These scams target people like them.

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