Czech police alert to online romance scams draining millions from victims

Police in the Czech Republic have reported two separate romance‑fraud cases involving internet dating platforms. In one case, a 54‑year‑old man from Olomouc was persuaded by a woman he met on Tinder to invest in a cryptocurrency scheme that turned out to be a fake platform, resulting in a loss of roughly 5.5 million Czech crowns. The man created a new bank account for the alleged investment, but the funds were transferred to accounts controlled by the scammers.

In another incident, a woman from the Plumlov area was deceived by a man posing as an American soldier serving in Yemen. Believing his promises of a future together, she transferred 42,000 euros to a foreign account. Both victims reported the fraud to the police, who have opened criminal proceedings for suspected fraud. Officials warned that such scams often use WhatsApp and other messaging apps to build trust before extracting money, and said offenders could face up to eight years in prison.

The police reiterated their advice to verify any online investment or romantic proposition through official channels and to avoid sending money to unverified acquaintances.