Romance scams are currently one of the costliest schemes that scammers are using, targeting their victim’s hearts and money. In 2022, nearly 70,000 people reported a romance scam, and reported losses hit a staggering $1.3 billion. The median reported loss was found to be $4,400.

Romance scammers lure people through fake online profiles, often stealing photos from strangers on the web and creating an attractive and convincing persona. They might make up names or assume the identities of real people. Reports indicate the scammers are active on dating apps, but also on social media sites that aren’t generally used for dating. Many of those who fell victim to a romance scam say the scam started with a Facebook message. 

These scammers pay close attention to your information and present themselves as your perfect match. But there is one way to see through their lies – you want to meet in real life, and they can’t. Reports show their excuse is often explained away by their job, saying they are away at a military base, or they work as an “offshore oil rig worker”. In short, there’s no end to the lies romance scammers will tell to get your money.

Once they have built up a relationship with their victim over days, weeks, months or even longer, the scammer will present you with an urgent plea for money. They may claim to be hurt, sick, or in jail. Or they may just demand a gift from you to prove that you care for them. They will also ask for this money in a suspicious manner such as cryptocurrency, gift cards, or wire transfers.

So how can you spot a romance scammer?

• Nobody legit will ever ask you to help them by sending cryptocurrency, giving the numbers on a gift card, or by wiring money. Anyone who does is a scammer.
• If someone tells you to send money to receive a package, you can bet it’s a scam.
• Talk to friends or family about a new love interest and pay attention if they’re concerned.
• Try a reverse image search of profile pictures. If the details don’t match up, it’s a scam.

Help stop scammers by reporting suspicious profiles or messages to the dating app or social media platform. Then, tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.