Finding love online can feel exciting and full of possibility. Dating apps, social platforms, and messaging tools make it easier than ever to meet new people. But as many people have discovered, scammers use those same spaces to exploit trust and steal money or personal information.

Romance scams impact people of all ages and backgrounds. Every year, thousands of individuals report losing significant amounts of money to fraudsters who hide behind fake profiles and carefully crafted stories. Staying informed is one of the best ways to protect yourself.

Red Flags

X  Won’t Meet in Person or Video Chat

They’ll say they’re overseas, in the military, traveling, or dealing with personal complications—anything to avoid face to face contact.

X  Asking for Money

Every scammer has a prepared story. They might say they need help with a medical emergency, travel expenses, business needs, or investment opportunities. If you say you’ll help, they’ll then steer you toward hard-to-trace payment methods like wire transfers, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or peer to peer apps. 

X  Urgency or High Pressure

They want you to act quickly before you have time to pause or reflect. Urgency is often a key tactic to get you emotionally invested.

If you suspect you’re communicating with someone who is trying to perpetrate a scam, cut off all contact and block them on every platform. It can be a big disappointment to let go of a relationship you thought had potential, but you can try again with someone who truly cares about you, not your money.

Contact us for help if you think you’ve become a target. We can help you identify if the person you’ve met online is a fraud, or the real deal.