Darknet Forums Offer Romance Scam Tools, Guides and Advice

Summary

DarkOwl analysts describe how romance scams intersect with identity theft, money laundering and exploitation, and report finding scam scripts, eWhoring guides and victim discussions on darknet and adjacent platforms.

Key points

The article cites FTC data that reported romance scams tripled from 2017 to 2021; in 2022, reported losses exceeded $1 billion despite a 10% drop in the number of victims.
Scammers may build trust over time, move conversations off dating platforms, and use urgent stories to solicit money or personal information.
The article describes risks including identity theft, victims being manipulated into money-mule activity, and stolen identities being used to create fake profiles.
DarkOwl analysts report finding scam scripts, eWhoring guides, stolen or leaked intimate images, and voice-message services advertised on darknet marketplaces and forums.
Analysts also observed Telegram discussions about romance scams and darknet posts from people seeking advice or describing suspected victimization.
The article notes that some romance scammers may themselves be trafficking victims forced to conduct scams, citing prior reporting; it does not establish this for every scammer.