Scam guide
Romance Scams
A person builds trust, creates emotional pressure, and may later ask for money or investment help.
Who this helps
Online daters, families, and friends supporting someone in a new online relationship.
How romance scams mix trust, secrecy, and money pressure
Romance scams usually develop over time. A person may seem warm, attentive, and emotionally available before introducing a crisis, travel problem, medical expense, investment opportunity, or request for account help. AI-written messages and copied photos can make the relationship feel more personal and consistent than it really is.
The risk increases when the relationship moves quickly, leaves the original platform, avoids normal video or in-person verification, or becomes tied to money. If a romantic contact asks for gift cards, crypto, payment apps, loans, banking help, or investment deposits, pause and talk with someone you trust before acting.
What this scam looks like
A romance scam may begin on a dating app, social media platform, messaging app, game, or community site. The person may be attentive, flattering, and consistent. They may say they live far away, work overseas, travel often, or cannot meet yet.
Money pressure may appear after trust forms. The story might involve a medical bill, travel problem, family emergency, business delay, crypto opportunity, or frozen account. The request often comes with secrecy, guilt, or promises that repayment is coming soon.
Common examples
- A dating contact asks for gift cards after a travel emergency.
- A new romantic partner recommends a crypto platform with quick profits.
- Someone avoids meeting but keeps building emotional commitment.
- A person asks to use your bank account or payment app for a favor.
- A contact says friends or family would not understand the relationship.
How to verify safely
- Pause before sending money, gift cards, crypto, or account access.
- Keep early conversations on reputable platforms when possible.
- Talk with a trusted person before making financial decisions tied to romance.
- Be cautious if the person avoids normal video, phone, or in-person verification.
- Research investment platforms independently instead of using links from the contact.
Warning signs
- The person avoids meeting or video chatting in a normal way.
- They ask for money, gift cards, crypto, or account help.
- They move the conversation off the original platform quickly.
- They combine romance with an investment opportunity.
Questions to ask
- Has this person asked me to keep secrets from friends or family?
- Would I make this payment if there were no romantic pressure?
- Can I talk with someone I trust before acting?
Safer next steps
- Pause before sending money or private information.
- Keep conversations on reputable platforms while trust is low.
- Talk with a trusted person if the request feels urgent or secret.
What to do if you already clicked, paid, or shared information
- Stop sending money or account access until you have support.
- Contact the relevant bank, platform, employer, or agency through an official channel.
- Save messages, usernames, photos, payment details, and platform profile links.
- Tell a trusted person what happened so the pressure is not private anymore.
- Be cautious of recovery offers or new contacts who appear after a loss.
How to report it
- Report the profile through the dating app or social platform.
- Report payments through the bank, card provider, crypto platform, or payment app used.
- Report impersonation if stolen photos or profiles were used.
- Visit the site's /reporting page for general reporting options.
Common questions
How can I tell if an online relationship is a scam?
Look for money pressure, secrecy, fast emotional intensity, avoided verification, and investment pitches from someone you have not met.
Should I send money to someone I met online?
Pause and talk with someone you trust first, especially if the request is urgent, secret, or tied to romance.
Why do romance scammers talk about crypto?
Some scams use trust from a relationship to move people into fake investment platforms or crypto transfers.
What should I do if I already sent money?
Stop sending more, save the details, contact the payment provider through official support, and tell a trusted person.