Minneapolis Police Department shares tips to avoid being targeted in romance schemes
You've seen the salacious headlines: romance schemes leading to heartbreak, financial ruin and sometimes even death.
In the last year, Minneapolis has seen two violent romance schemes.
Last May, a 28-year-old man was killed in an attempted carjacking. He was allegedly lured into danger through a dating app.
In December, a similar crime happened. A minor is charged with attempted murder after he allegedly helped his girlfriend trick someone online. They gained the victim's trust with multiple outings before stealing his car and shooting him.
The terrifying instances are now working their way through the court system. While the Minneapolis Police Department couldn't speak on any current cases, officials say romance schemes are not on the rise — but it's good to be on guard online.
"I think that any situation where someone is looking to take money from you can turn violent," chief deputy of investigations with the Minneapolis Police Department Emily Olson said. "I think that any situation where someone is desperate can turn violent."
Olson has been with MPD for 27 years, and when it comes to romance schemes, she sees a spectrum of victim demographics — but it usually starts on an app.
"If you have been a victim prior, this does not mean that you've done anything wrong, that predators are predators, and they're criminals, and so if you've been a victim of something, it's not your fault," she said.
She encourages anyone connecting with strangers online to be cautious.
"If they want to get really personal really quickly, if they make sexual comments to you really quickly. Those are all red flags," she said.
Another red flag: an urgent attempt to take your conversation off the app, and if you're connecting on social media, such as Facebook, a dormant profile.
"If you feel something is off, it's OK to say, 'No, thank you. I don't want to meet there. I don't want to do that.' That's not rude. That's just considering your own safety," Olson said.
Olson says if you do take things offline and in person to make sure to share your location with a trusted friend, meet in public and during the day, and if something feels off, report it.
"I don't think it's ever your fault. People shouldn't perpetrate and people shouldn't commit crimes, but they do," Olson said.
