09/25/2026
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❤️ PLEASE READ — THIS COULD HELP SOMEONE YOU LOVE ❤️
🛑 STOP • CHECK • TALK 🛑
Someone may be talking to you online right now and telling you they care about you.
Maybe they say they want to be your friend.
Maybe they say they want to be your boyfriend or girlfriend.
Maybe they tell you they love you.
You may talk every day. They may send you photographs and tell you stories about their life. After weeks or months, the relationship can feel very real.
But do you really know who is behind the screen?
💔 Online relationship and impersonation scams are happening to people in our communities and around the world.
And we want to say something very important:
❤️ THERE IS NO SHAME IN BEING SCAMMED.
You may have been lonely.
You may have wanted friendship.
You may have wanted companionship.
You may simply have believed you had found someone who cared about you.
Those feelings are human.
The person deliberately deceiving you is responsible for the deception—not you.
🚩 PLEASE BE CAREFUL IF SOMEONE YOU MET ONLINE:
• Says they love you very quickly
• Always has a reason why they can’t meet you in person
• Asks you to keep the relationship secret
• Wants money because of an emergency
• Needs money for travel, medical bills or a family problem
• Asks for your banking information or personal identification
• Asks you to send or receive money for them
• Wants you to invest in cryptocurrency
• Becomes angry or threatening when you question them
🛑 BEFORE YOU SEND MONEY — STOP.
STOP — Don’t let anyone pressure you.
CHECK — Independently check who they really are and whether their story is true.
TALK — Talk to someone you trust before sending money or personal information.
And if someone you love is involved with someone online and you’re worried:
Please don’t call them stupid.
Please don’t embarrass them.
Please don’t say, “I told you so.”
Instead say:
❤️ “I care about you. Let’s look at this together.”
IF YOU THINK YOU’VE BEEN SCAMMED:
Don’t be embarrassed. Get help.
Contact your bank or financial institution immediately if money has been sent.
Contact your local police.
Report the fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: 1-888-495-8501
Keep your messages, photographs, screenshots, receipts and other information. Don’t delete the evidence.
And remember—people who have already been scammed can sometimes be targeted again by someone promising to recover their money. Never pay someone upfront to recover money you’ve lost.
❤️ Handy Circle Resource Society is sharing this because we care about our community.
Wanting friendship, companionship or love is nothing to be ashamed of.
Protect your heart. Protect your information. Protect your money.
🛑 STOP • CHECK • TALK ❤️
If this post helps even one person stop before sending money, it was worth sharing.
Please share this post with your family, friends, neighbours and anyone who may benefit from seeing it.
— Handy Circle Resource Society
Information and Resource Centre for Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs if you would like to talk please call us. 250-563-1852
Lorraine: Program Manager
Or email us [email protected] in subject area: attention Lorraine
