Recently widowed, Rosalie met someone on a well-known dating site. While Rosalie lives in Sturgeon falls, Simon is from Calgary. He works in finance (according to what he says!) and travels very frequently. He is currently in Florida due to a major contract. The distance separates them, but Rosalie really believes in love. They have been maintaining a virtual romantic relationship for several months. Despite all Rosalie’s invitations to chat via video or even in person, Simon refuses or finds an excuse. Rosalie does not worry too much, she knows that Simon is very shy and little by little, he will open up to her.
A first request for money from Simon marked the beginning of the upheaval of Rosalie’s life. Simon told her about an urgent situation that needed to fix his car, that she had to help him and lend him money quickly because she loved him so much. Rosalie sent him $2,000, on the pretext that everything would be better shortly. But soon after, Simon told him another incredible story and asked him for another amount of money. And yet another story followed a few weeks later…
Over time, the need for money became more and more important and the international remittances requested by Simon multiplied. Rosalie sent him several thousand dollars… and a healthy dose of his self-esteem.
Fortunately, Rosalie is a fictional person. Unfortunately, his story is a classic case of romance scam. His story can happen to anyone.
If you are or believe you are a victim of fraud, it is essential to contact your Caisse Alliance to protect yourself. Be careful!
All fraud has a price. Protect your savings.
Antoine Tine
Regulatory Compliance Advisor – Fraud
Antoine.a.tine@acpol.com