Online romance cost her 12 million tenge

Fraudsters have turned their attention to online dating and are targeting people looking for love on Threads. The Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Department for Combating Cybercrime urges Kazakhstanis to be especially cautious of posts seeking a husband or wife. Behind such profiles may be scammers whose only serious interest is your wallet. The scheme usually follows a familiar pattern: online conversations, emotional attachment and, eventually, requests for financial assistance. Many people do not realise that these profiles may not belong to real individuals at all. The photos can be generated by artificial intelligence, while the content is often generic and template-based.