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Romance Scams

How it works

Scammers create fake profiles on dating apps and social media, build a relationship quickly, and say they live or work far away, such as on an oil rig, in the military or overseas. Eventually there's an emergency, a medical bill, a travel cost or an investment, and they ask you for money.

Red flags

• They say they love you quickly but can't meet or video chat
• They ask for money, gift cards, crypto or wire transfers
• They want to move the chat off the dating app
• They ask you to keep the relationship secret

The FTC's rule of thumb: never send money or gifts to someone you haven't met in person. Talk to a friend or family member about it. Scammers often ask you to keep it secret.

Got a message like this? Paste it into the free scam checker. It runs only in your browser.

If you already paid

Act fast. The FTC's advice depends on how you paid:

• Credit or debit card: call the card company, report the fraudulent charge and ask them to reverse it.
• Bank transfer or wire: contact your bank or the wire company (such as Western Union or MoneyGram) right away and ask them to reverse the transfer.
• Payment app (Zelle, Cash App, Venmo): report it to the app and to your bank, and ask for a reversal.
• Gift card: contact the company that issued the card, tell them it was used in a scam, and keep the card and receipt.
• Cryptocurrency: crypto payments usually can't be reversed. Contact the exchange you used and report to IC3.gov.
• Cash by mail or courier: report it to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service or the delivery company and the FTC.
• You gave a password or code: change that password now, turn on two-step verification and check for changes you didn't make.
• You gave your Social Security number: visit IdentityTheft.gov and consider a free credit freeze with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

Watch for "recovery" scams. Anyone who contacts you offering to get your money back for a fee is likely another scammer.

How to report it

• FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If your personal information was misused, also go to IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan.
• FBI: IC3.gov (the Internet Crime Complaint Center), especially if you lost money online or in crypto.
• Your bank or card company: call the number on the back of your card or on your statement, not one from the message.
• Scam texts: forward them to 7726 (SPAM), then delete and block.

Sources: FTC consumer advice (consumer.ftc.gov) and FBI IC3 public service announcements. Last reviewed 2026-10-12.