North Bay woman loses thousands in online romance scam

North Bay police are warning people to be wary of online romance after a local woman lost thousands of dollars to a fraudster.

According to a release issued by police today, the suspect contacted the woman through an online dating site and the two built a relationship.

Without ever meeting her in person, he convinced the victim to send money, police said.

• Online dating most popular fraud target in Canada
• Are you dating a scammer? 6 warning signs to watch

Beware these common frauds

Police say examples of these frauds include:

• the fraudster is located in a far country and needs money for travel to meet the victim
• the fraudster needs funds for an emergency such as a sick family member
• the "rich and successful" fraudster needs funds to pay employees and promises to pay the victim back
• money is needed to secure a large business contract
• while travelling, a government seized funds from the fraudster and won't release the money until a fine is paid

North Bay police also advise on how to protect yourself against a romance scam:

• Be wary if someone you meet online contacts you often with frequent displays of affection early, and confesses deep love without ever meeting you.
• Never under any circumstance send money, or banking or credit card information, or online bank account details to anyone you have never met in person and do not know and trust
• Be cautious when conversing with an individual that claims to live close to you but is working overseas. This is a set up for the fraudster to provide numerous reasons to ask for money.
• If you receive a cheque or another form of payment from someone you have met online and they ask you to cash it and send them a portion of the funds—  don't do it! It's a counterfeit cheque and you will be responsible to cover any fees from the bank.