With Valentine’s Day approaching, many of us are thinking all things love and romance. But beware – don’t get caught out by a dating swindler!
The popular Netflix show, “The Tinder Swindler,” a true-crime documentary tells the story of a group of women as they attempt to track down a man who conned them out of millions via a dating app. In the series, it’s revealed that Shimon Hayut – known to the women as Simon Leviev – stole $20m (£17.4m) from his victims!
This is an extreme case, but for anyone who has watched the popular BBC1 daytime series, “For Love or Money”, it’s plain to see that dating fraud is very common indeed and absolutely anyone can become a victim as people are vulnerable when they are lonely and/or looking for love and companionship. Last years Which report also revealed online dating fraud went up by 40% during the pandemic.
So how can you avoid getting scammed in your search for a meaningful relationship? How can you be sure that the people you meet are who they say they are and are genuine? Answer: It is essential you join an approved agency which is a member of the Association of British Introduction Agencies (ABIA) – www.abia.org.uk
Set up in 1981 under the directive of the Office of Fair Trading the ABIA have been monitoring and regulating the industry for over 40 years.
By joining an ABIA member agency, you can be rest assured you will meet people who are who they say they are. The agency will carefully vet each client they take on to make sure that they really are single, divorced or widowed, financially stable and looking to find a lasting long-term relationship.