Halifax Regional Police are warning of a catfish scam on an online dating site.
Police say three men using the messaging site We-Chat have come forward in the past six months alleging they have been scammed.
The men say they made a deal to exchange gift cards ranging from $50 to $500 for sexual services, but the other end of the bargain wasn’t kept.
“Often what happens in these cases, the victim will send multiple gift cards, but the one or two may not be enough,” said Cst. Carol Campbell-Waugh.
Anita Hovey with the Twirp app and Morgan Shepard from Halifax paper the Coast, say they can spot a scammer a message away.
“It’s really easy for people to fake a profile and look real,” said Hovey.
They say there are several signs to look out for.
“If the information they’re giving you is different all the time, if it doesn’t seem like the same person is talking to you or maybe they’re using a different vocabulary, I would say that could be a scam,” said Shepard.
Hovey says to be aware of things get serious too quickly.
“[If] they’re very forward in their messages, even on Facebook, then that’s a big red flag,” she said.
Shepard says to be aware of users asking for money.
“If people are asking you for money or gift cards before you even meet them in person, you probably shouldn’t do that,” she said.
Halifax police say they don’t believe the suspect is in the city.
“That makes it a little trickier, a little more work on our half,” said Cst. Campbell-Waugh.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kelly Linehan.
