Police: online romance scams cost Canadians millions

Police say Canadian victims lost over  $17 million to online scammers in 2017.

Over 1,000 cases were reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre last year, but police say that likely only accounts for about five per cent of actual cases.

According to police, these scams often involve people wooing the victim and gaining their trust to get access to bank accounts and credit cards.

In some cases, the suspect will even attempt to get the victim to commit fraud on their behalf.

Police say most romance scams begin on social media sites or online dating sites.

They are reminding people who are looking for love online to be cautious.