How to Spot Romance Scams on Dating Apps
Romance scams are one of the most costly forms of online fraud. Scammers build trust over days or weeks, then invent a reason to ask for money. The good news: their scripts are predictable once you know them.
Classic warning signs
- They move fast. Intense compliments and talk of love or a future together within days.
- They want to leave the app quickly, often to WhatsApp, Telegram or email.
- They can never video call. The camera is always broken or the connection always bad.
- They live far away, often working abroad, on an oil rig, in the military or travelling for business.
- Their profile looks too polished, like stock or model photos.
- There's a crisis. A medical bill, a customs fee, a frozen bank account, a flight they can't pay for.
Common scam scripts
The investment "tip"
A match casually mentions how much they earn from crypto or forex trading and offers to teach you, pointing you to a platform they control. Any deposit disappears.
The emergency
Something terrible has happened and only you can help, quickly and quietly.
The visit that never happens
They're coming to meet you, but need help paying for the ticket, the visa, or a fee at the airport.
Sextortion
Someone pressures you to share intimate images, then threatens to send them to your contacts unless you pay. Don't pay, stop replying, save the evidence and report it.
How to check a suspicious match
- Run their photos through a reverse image search.
- Ask for a live video call.
- Talk to a friend you trust. Scammers rely on secrecy.
If you've been targeted
- Stop all contact and don't send anything more.
- Report the profile to the dating app.
- Contact your bank straight away if you've paid anything.
- Report it to your national fraud agency, such as the FTC in the US, Action Fraud in the UK, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, or Scamwatch in Australia.
The one rule that beats every scam: never send money, gift cards or crypto to someone you haven't met in person.