What You Need To Know About Romance Scams

Millions of people turn to online dating apps or social networking sites to meet someone. But instead of finding romance, many find a scammer trying to trick them into sending money. Romance scams reached a record $304 million in losses reported to the FTC in 2020. That’s up about 50% from 2019. Romance scammers create fake profiles on dating sites and apps, or contact their targets through popular social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, or Google Hangouts. The scammers strike up a relationship with their targets to build their trust, sometimes talking or chatting several times a day. Then, they make up a story and ask for money.

The Lies Romance Scammers Tell

They’ll often say they’re living or traveling outside of the United States. We’ve heard about scammers who say they are

1. working on an oil rig
2. in the military
3. a doctor with an international organization

We’ve heard about romance scammers asking their targets for money to

1. pay for a plane ticket or other travel expenses
2. pay customs fees to retrieve something
3. pay for surgery or other medical expenses
4. pay off gambling debts
5. pay for a visa or other official travel documents

How To Avoid Losing Money to a Romance Scammer

Here’s the bottom line: Never send money or gifts to a sweetheart you haven’t met in person. If you suspect a romance scam

1. Stop communicating with the person immediately.
2. Talk to someone you trust, and pay attention if your friends or family say they’re concerned about your new love interest.
3. Do a reverse image search of the person’ profile picture to see if it’s associated with another name or with details that don’t match up – those are signs of a scam.