Here is how it works
Assess your situation
Based on our expertise, we conduct initial evaluations to determine your case’s potential for a significant recovery.
Collect the necessary documentation
Thoroughly gathering all the necessary information and documentation essential for effectively pursuing your case.
Engage with the relevant parties
Methodically engaging with the pertinent entities responsible for facilitating the unauthorized transfer of your assets.
Get Your Money Back
We take immense pride in our proven track record and assure you that we will spare no effort in our pursuit to recover your funds.
Romance scammers con thousands of people out of their money every year, and their techniques are becoming ever more sophisticated. We believe that romance scam victims deserve justice, and we fight hard on their behalf to reunite them with their lost funds. If you’ve fallen foul of a romance scam, contact us so that we begin working to retrieve your money.
At Payback Ltd, we work tirelessly to assist our clients who have been victims of various types of romance scams. Our team of recovery experts will leave no stone unturned to track down the scammers and the funds that have been lost. We also provide a range of informative guides to help you avoid romance scams in the future.
Your money back guarantee
Here at Payback Ltd, we want to make sure you know everything there is to know in regards to romance scams and fraud. While our primary job is to help recover financial loss for clients who have been scammed or being involved in some kind of fraud, ideally we want to help you avoid these scams in the first place. So be vigilant and knowledgeable.
What are Romance Scams?
There are lots of different types of romance scams circulating, but, in general, they are all cons that involve the scammer pretending to have romantic feelings towards their victim. The aim is to lure in the intended mark to eventually persuade them to give or send money or gifts to the scammer. Now, these cons often begin on platforms such as Tinder and other dating sites.
Romance scams can have devastating consequences for those that have fallen victim to them. As well as losing money and/or possessions of value, the victim is usually left broken-hearted, feeling extremely vulnerable, and may have trouble forming a trusting relationship for a significant time. This type of scam is particularly cruel and can have long-term effects on the people who have found themselves entangled in one.
Common Types of Romance Scams
Here are the main types of romance scams that are currently circulating:
In this scenario, an individual using a dating site or app will be contacted or matched with a potential partner and get chatting with them. This person, however, is a scammer and will attempt to begin the process of getting close to their mark and appear to want to develop a relationship with them. Things could move quickly, and the victim may feel flattered and that they’ve met the perfect match they’ve been looking for.
The scammer will often push to meet quickly and may bombard their victim with messages declaring their feelings and plans for the future. At some point, however, the con artist will request money or a gift. They may appear extremely convincing in their request, using the emotional connection they’ve carefully crafted with their mark to persuade them to acquiesce to the request without becoming suspicious.
Once money or gifts have been given, the requests for more will come frequently until, typically, the victim will begin to realize what’s happening and questions the scammer. At this point, the con artist will usually either become aggressive or – more likely – when it becomes apparent that no more funds will be forthcoming – disappear into thin air.
The so-called ‘Pig Butchering’ scam is a relatively new con that originated in China in 2020: it combines a romance scam with an investment scam. The con unfolds like the ‘traditional’ romance scam as outlined above. However, once the scammer has successfully feigned romantic feelings for and secured a connection with their victim, they will request (or advise) their mark to invest in a fake or fraudulent business.
Statistics have shown that, since this scam emerged a few years ago, the majority of its victims have been well-educated women in their 20s and 30s; and that the average amount of money a victim loses to it is a staggering $98,000.
This is another widespread romance scam. In this case, a con artist will undertake research to create a convincing persona, uploading their details onto a dating site in the guise of a member of the military. The scammer will usually target an individual who they’ve discovered has shown support for or who has some connection to the military: they can find this information from reading profiles or by scouring relevant Facebook groups.
Once the scammer has identified a vulnerable target, the typical pattern will unfold: a relationship will be sought that escalates quickly. Within a short space of time, money or gift cards will be sought. When the victim asks to meet, the scammer will claim that they’re currently posted overseas.
This type of romance scam isn’t concerned with persuading a victim to directly part with their funds but, instead, is about identity theft. This con typically involves a victim (who is active on a dating site) being sent an email from an individual they’ve matched with. The mark will be invited to click on a link to view some photos of the person they’ve connected with.
Unfortunately, once this link is clicked on, the scammer can access their victim’s device and therefore harvest a multitude of personal details. These could include the victim’s date of birth, address, credit card number, and banking information and could be used to raid accounts or to take out a loan, for example, in the victim’s name.
Money Muling
With this romance scam, the victim that the scammer has targeted, and has given the impression of forming a close connection with, is persuaded to move illicit funds as a way to launder money. The con artist will send the victim money, phones, or valuable possessions and convince them to send these items elsewhere.
Steering clear of this type of scam is vital; victims may find themselves embroiled in a wide-ranging criminal network that could be both difficult and dangerous to extricate themselves from.
Key points
Scammed and Lost Money to a Romance Scam? Here’s What You Need to Do Next
Those who have fallen victim to a romance scam are usually left heartbroken and feeling vulnerable, as well as having to deal with the loss of an often significant amount of money. These feelings can make seeking help and restitution even harder – victims may even feel embarrassed or ashamed, making figuring out what to do next even harder.
Here at Payback, however, we have a team of experts who specialize in recovering money lost to romance scams and employ a variety of means to track down the scammers and reunite their victims with their stolen funds.
You’ll receive a caseworker who will be at your side throughout the process, providing support and keeping you updated. Why not fill in our Success Calculator now, and check out our testimonials and reviews to get an idea of the exemplary service you can expect when we take on your case?
If you’d like us to review your case to see if it’s one we believe we can win, then get in touch with us at your earliest convenience so that we can start the process of recovering your funds and getting you the justice you deserve.
How to Avoid Romance Scams
Dating websites and apps are commonly used, but scammers also set up fake profiles on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook to lure in their victims. In the latter case, the scammers may send you a friend request, or an unsolicited message, possibly claiming that they know one of your other friends or went to the same school as you, to open up a line of communication.
This type of romance scam is where a con artist will convince the person they’re in a ‘relationship’ with that they should get married as soon as possible so that a large inheritance can be accessed. If the victim agrees, then the scammer will attempt to persuade them to send a significant sum of money to cover their plane ticket and relocation costs.
In most cases, the scammer will masquerade as someone who was brought up or now lives relatively close to you when, usually, they’re in another country altogether and may never have set foot anywhere near your location. So, asking where they grew up is helpful. A scammer is likely to give you a vague answer, so be sure to ask for particulars. If they say they grew up in the Chicago area, ask which street or suburb they lived in.
You could also ask what school or university they attended and their favorite restaurant in the area they claim to have previously lived.
Ideally, ask if you can have a video chat as soon as possible; this is one of the very best ways of checking whether someone is who they say they are.
The ‘Pig Butchery’ romance scam, which first surfaced in 2020, is becoming increasingly popular with con artists. This scam involves the mark being persuaded to invest in a fraudulent business proposition, often related to cryptocurrency.
In 2021 eight Nigerian men appeared in a court in South Africa, charged with undertaking a decade-long scam that involved more than one hundred American women. Over seven million dollars was stolen from the scammers’ victims over this ten-year period.
If you found yourself entangled in a romance scam and lost money, as a result, there are still means to recover some or all of these funds.
Have you ever lost money due to fraud, scams, or other financial issues? If so, you’re not alone. Many individuals face the frustrating and stressful
If you have lost funds due to investment scams, fraudulent activities, or identity theft, you may be feeling overwhelmed and helpless. However, there is hope.
Have you been a victim of fraud or financial misconduct? Are you struggling to reclaim your lost funds? The process can be overwhelming and frustrating,
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Disclaimer: Charge-Back Guardiance does not charge for directly securing funds or facilitating their recovery. As a cyber research and consultancy firm, we do not offer claim management, legal services, investment advice, or asset recovery. While we may conduct research to assist in scam cases and provide intelligence to help trace criminals, we do not guarantee the retrieval of funds.
Charge-Back Guardiance never makes unsolicited calls. We only engage with clients who have contacted us first.
Additionally, the company does not accept or engage in prohibited payment methods.
