These cases are part of a range of cybercrimes related to sentimental aspects, such as sextortion, cyberbullying or love fraud. As a whole, in the Citizen Council we have served, this year and last, more than 2,100 people, and on average 70% are women.
In the case of sextortion and cyberbullying, people between 18 and 35 years of age are the ones who report the most, while the group most affected in love fraud is above 36 years of age.
The most frequently mentioned digital platforms are Facebook, Tinder and WhatsApp.
While dating apps are an increasingly popular means of meeting potential partners, that doesn’t mean everyone who uses them will be scammed. Experts say that there is a certain profile of people who are more likely to fall into love fraud.
Naivety plays an important role in the level of trust that is granted when interacting online and that contributes to not seeing red flags in social interactions, such as the insistence on knowing aspects related to personal finances or the supposed and sudden need to economical support.
When these crimes move from the digital to the physical plane, they lead to the manifestation of various types of gender violence. Such is the case of a woman whose boyfriend of hers, whom she met on Tinder, started a loving relationship online, but when interacting with her in person he began to beat her, insult her and threaten to persecute her if she left him.
