In your worst home business nightmares, there might be any number of scams that steal away your money. But what if those scams also broke your heart? Today’s online frauds are more advanced and sophisticated than ever. With identity theft as an additional option while perpetrating frauds on innocent people looking to make money online, there have never been so many ways to take advantage of people just trying to better their circumstances. Of all of the scams online now, though, one is far more vicious than most. The “I Love You” scam can break banks and hearts.

Many people enter into chat rooms look to connect to other people. When individuals work from home or lack fulfilling external social lives, this online source of support and camaraderie becomes even more important. Some people even utilize this resource for falling in love and meeting life partners. Many people make legitimate and honest connections online. However, there is no way to know how legitimate a person is without simply trusting them. What do you do when the person you are trusting to be legitimate and honest is actually out to take your money?

The “I Love You” scam preys on people who are looking for love and connection. The perpetrator will enter a chat room and begin a conversation with you. He or she will connect with you almost instantly, and you will begin a relationship not much different from any other. These relationships are often based on need fulfillment. He or she will come broken and will be quickly amazed at how well your attention seems to fix them. This will feel very good to your ego, and you will begin to fall in love. As your love grows, the perpetrator will come into the need for a sum of money or will happen upon a business opportunity too good to pass up. Sadly, once you supply the money, the relationship runs dry. This scam has wreaked havoc on many hearts, and continues to snare well-intentioned individuals every day. When looking for love,