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8 Romance Scams You Should Know
A romance scam, also known as an online dating scam, involves a fraudster creating a fake online persona to establish a romantic relationship with a victim. Made famous by Netflix's 2022 doc, The Tinder Swindler, the scammer’s ultimate goal is to exploit the relationship for financial gain or personal information. While the scam often begins with a seemingly genuine connection, it quickly turns to manipulation and deceit.
With online dating becoming more common for people of all ages, scammers are finding more ways than ever to take advantage of hopeful singles. They typically create fake profiles on dating apps, social media platforms, or chat rooms, often using attractive photos and impressive backstories to lure victims. Once a scammer has made contact, they invest time and effort into building a relationship. After establishing trust, the scammer introduces a problem or crisis that requires financial assistance. The scammer may ask for money, gifts, or personal information. Once the scammer has extracted as much as they can, they abruptly cut off communication leaving their victims confused, heartbroken, and at a loss. In this blog, we’ll walk you through 8 romance scams to look out for and tips on how to protect yourself and your loved ones.
1. The “Too Good to Be True” Romance
Scammers often create profiles with stunning photos and alluring biographies, presenting themselves as ideal partners. They may shower you with compliments and profess love quickly. If someone seems too perfect or falls for you unusually fast, be cautious.2. The Long-Distance Love Scam
In this scenario, the scammer claims to be living or traveling abroad and develops a relationship with you online. They create a sense of urgency or crisis, asking for money to resolve various issues such as travel problems, medical emergencies, or legal troubles.3. The “Investment Opportunity” Scam
In this scam, once they’ve established a romantic connection, scammers convince their victims to invest in fake business opportunities or schemes. They promise high returns with little risk. The scammer will often use persuasive tactics and fake documents to make the offer look legit.
4. The “Catfish” Scam
Scammers often use stolen photos and fake identities to create convincing profiles. They might pose as someone with an impressive background, such as a doctor or executive, to gain your trust and affection.
5. The Emergency Crisis Scam
In this scam, the scammer invents a sudden emergency such as a medical crisis or legal trouble that requires immediate financial assistance. They play on your emotions and create a sense of urgency to get you to send money quickly.
6. The Blackmail Scam
Sometimes after establishing a relationship and gaining the victim’s trust, the scammer might coax them into sharing personal or intimate content. They then use this information to threaten to expose compromising material unless money is paid.
7. The “Deployed Military” Scam
Scammers often pose as military personnel stationed abroad, using a storyline that includes dangerous conditions or medical issues. They build a rapport with victims and then fabricate stories about needing money for various expenses related to their supposed deployment.
8. The Phishing Romance Scam
Scammers may use romance as a cover to obtain sensitive personal information such as bank account details, passwords, or other financial data. They use the trust built to request or extract sensitive information, either directly or through fake forms and emails.
Warning Signs & Red Flags
- It seems too good to be true. Be cautious of individuals who seem too perfect or whose stories are overly dramatic.
- Their story is inconsistent. Pay attention to any discrepancies in the person’s stories or background. Scammers often have difficulty keeping their lies consistent.
- It’s moving too fast. If the relationship seems to progress unusually fast, with declarations of love and commitment early on, it could be a red flag.
- They’re avoiding face-to-face interaction. If the person consistently avoids in-person meetings or video calls, it could indicate that they are hiding something. Scammers often use this tactic to prevent being exposed.
- They ask you for money or personal information. Be wary of anyone who asks for financial help, especially if you haven’t met them in person.
How to Protect Yourself
- Take it slowly. Ask questions and see if their story adds up.
- Use Google image search to do a reverse search and see if their profile photo shows up elsewhere with a different name attached to it. Also, search for things they’ve referenced such as their name, location, degree, or job title to help verify the authenticity of a profile.
- Limit the amount of personal information you provide in a dating profile or to someone you’ve only chatted with online. The more they know about you the easier it will be for them to manipulate you.
- Never share intimate photos. They could end up being used for blackmail.
- Don't send money to someone you've only interacted with online.
- If you feel like something is off, explain the situation to family and friends and see if they agree. If so, it may be time to end your correspondence.
Report a Romance Scam
If you’ve been the victim of a scam or provided your account information to someone on a dating app, please contact us immediately at 800-666-0191, visit a branch, or video chat with us.
