Gander International Airport is warning people of alleged catfishing scams. (Gander International Airport Authority)
A social media post written by Gander International Airport is warning people of the dangers of catfishing scams after staff noticed several heartbreaks at arrivals gates in recent months.
"Asking around airport staff, there have been a half dozen in a month in a small light-density market of the ones we know of," Gander International Airport Authority CEO Reg Wright told CBC Radio's Newfoundland Morning.
Wright said he became aware of the issue last week by the airport's director of safety.
"He's a big guy, right outdoorsy type, but very big heart," Wright said. "He told me about this incident he had the night before with a woman who arrived in her Sunday best, waiting for a loved one who, it turned out, didn't even exist."
Wright said the situation is crushing for the person who got catfished — and for airport staff to witness.
"You have to watch this woman come in and then go to the airline staff with her ticket and say, 'Look, he's supposed to be here, but he's not.' And it's evident to staff right away, the ticket is not real. It's not an itinerary, Gander is spelled wrong," Wright said. "The flight number doesn't exist."
Reg Wright, CEO of the Gander International Airport Authority, says it's crushing for staff to witness people get catfished. (CBC)
Seniors have been the primary targets of catfishing scams observed by airport staff, Wright said, adding the victims will sometimes wait hours before coming to terms with the reality that the person they expected won't be coming.
"It preys on that most human of vulnerabilities, which is the need for love and connection, and even more worrisome, there's almost always a financial transaction at play," Wright said.
WATCH | Here's why victims of online relationship scams are showing up at the Gander airport: Online love scams targeting lonely seniors expand to Gander Airport, warns CEO Duration 1:13 The Gander International Airport says about a half dozen victims of online scams have arrived at the airport to meet someone who doesn’t exist — and have lost money, too. The CBC’s Peter Cowan explains.
And while it's not in the airport's lane to tell people they've been catfished, Wright said, they can issue a warning.
"I'm always talking about flying local — maybe date local," he said. "Check in on your loved ones, see who they're talking to and what it's about."
Wright said these scams are not isolated to Gander airport. In its social media post, he said airport staff from across the country are commenting.
"It's probably one of the most pronounced cyber crimes, along with identity theft, and it is a form of that," he said.
"So I think it's an epidemic, and I think it really preys on people who are most vulnerable."
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[SRC] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/gander-airport-catfishing-scams-1.7652009
