Online Romance Scams

Romance 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 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 for surgery or other medical expenses
  3. Pay customs fees to retrieve something
  4. Pay off gambling debts
  5. Pay for a visa or other official travel documents

Scammers ask people to pay:

  1. By wiring money
  2. With reloaded cards like MoneyPak or gift cards from vendors like Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, or Steam

Scammers ask you to pay wiring money, with reloaded cards, or with gift cards because they can get cash quickly and remain anonymous. They also know the transactions are almost impossible to reverse.

 How to Avoid Losing Money to a Romance Scammer

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 search for the type of job the person has to see if other people have heard similar stories. For example, you could do a search for “oil rig scammer” or “US Army scammer.” You can also browse the comments on our blog posts about romance scams to hear other people’s stories:
    1. Faking it – scammers’ tricks to steal your heart and money
    2. Has an online love interest asked you for money?
    3. Romance scams will cost you
  4. Do a reverse image search of the person’s 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.