Theatre ticket scam on dating apps in Luxembourg
Men in Luxembourg have been victims of fraud through fake profiles on dating applications. Police admit they have never seen this variant of love scam before.
Fake profiles, fake tickets: a new scam is spreading on dating apps
L'Essentiel reports that an unprecedented fraud technique is circulating on dating applications in Luxembourg. Men seeking relationships have been trapped by fake profiles of young women, according to a scheme combining love scam and phishing.
Hervé*, one of the victims, exchanged messages with a profile presented as that of Sofie, 28, on the Bubble application, then on WhatsApp. Well-maintained profile photo, Estonian number — nothing unusual in a country as international as this one. "That is precisely where the trap lies: in the perfectly ordinary nature of the situation," he explains.
A theatre ticket as bait
After several exchanges, the young woman proposes a meeting at the theatre and sends him a link to a ticket-selling website so that he can "buy a seat next to hers". The ticket is priced at 70 euros. Convinced, Hervé pays. He will never see the performance — and for good reason: the play was not even scheduled in Luxembourg.
"At first glance, the ticket seems expensive, but you end up letting yourself be convinced. And suddenly, you have lost all your money, without even having been able to attend the performance," he sums up.
Police acknowledge they are unfamiliar with this method
Contacted by L'Essentiel, the police describe the mechanism as a variant of classical love scam, coupled with phishing techniques. "None of these phenomena is new in itself. However, new variants appear daily. Scammers constantly adapt their scenarios," the forces of law and order specify. The authorities nevertheless acknowledge that they have never before dealt with this specific mode of approach.
As for the financial consequences, they are clear for the police: "It is likely that the bank details of the victims, notably those of their credit cards, are fraudulently collected from the site in question, in order to be used later to make fraudulent online payments."
91 phishing complaints in October
The authorities call on victims to file a complaint, which makes it possible to centralise reports and have fraudulent websites blocked. Investigations to find those responsible remain lengthy and complex. In October alone, 91 complaints for phishing offences — all methods of operation combined — were recorded in Luxembourg.
Names have been changed.
Source: L'Essentiel