Romance scams: the warning signs to watch for

Love doesn't come with an invoice.

The answer in 2 lines. Watch out for an online relationship that moves very fast, with someone who always has an excuse not to video chat or meet, and who then has a money problem: medical bills, a plane ticket, visa or legal fees, or an "investment" in cryptocurrency. The FTC's rule is simple: never send money or gifts to someone you haven't met in person. If you already did, stop all contact, call your bank or the payment company right away, and report it to the FTC and the FBI.

The 4 steps that protect you

Don't send money, gift cards, wire transfers, payment-app transfers or cryptocurrency to someone you've only known online or by phone.
Ask for a live video call. A scammer always finds a reason to say no, or keeps canceling.
Talk to a friend or family member you trust, especially if they're worried about the relationship. Someone outside sees what doesn't add up.
Check the photos with a reverse image search in your web browser or search engine. If the same face shows up under other names, it's a scam.

Stop: danger

Threats or blackmail (for example, with intimate photos): don't pay, stop answering, save the messages and report to the FBI at ic3.gov. If you feel in immediate danger, call 911.
Moving money for your "partner": if they ask you to receive money and send it on, stop. The FBI warns that romance scammers recruit victims as money mules, which can get you caught up in a crime.

The warning signs

Strong feelings, very fast: declarations of love within days.
A profile that's almost too good: someone in the military overseas, a doctor with an international organization, a worker on an oil rig or a construction site abroad.
Never on camera, never in person: broken camera, bad connection, a trip canceled at the last minute.
Off the app, quickly: they want to move to text, email or a messaging app.
Secrecy: "don't tell your family, they wouldn't understand."
Then money: an emergency, a ticket, fees to release a package or an inheritance, or a "sure thing" investment.

What not to do

Sending money "just this once": it's usually the start of a series of requests.
Sharing gift card numbers and PINs, or buying cryptocurrency for someone you met online.
Sending intimate photos or videos: they can be used for blackmail later.
Paying someone who promises to get your lost money back for a fee: it may be a second scam.

If you've already sent money

Stop all contact on every app and platform you use with this person.
Call your bank, card issuer, or the payment company right away (gift card issuer, wire service, payment app, crypto platform). Tell them you paid a scammer and ask whether the payment can be stopped or reversed. There's no guarantee, so speed matters.
Report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (click "Report Now") and to the FBI at ic3.gov. The FBI accepts reports even if you didn't lose money.
Report the profile to the dating app or social network where you met.
Keep everything: profiles, messages, photos you received, receipts, transfer confirmations.
Don't stay alone with it. You were targeted by professionals; it isn't about being naive.

Who can help

Age 60 or older: the U.S. Department of Justice runs the National Elder Fraud Hotline, 1-833-372-8311. Case managers help you report the crime and find other resources; check the page for current hours.
Your state attorney general: find your office on the NAAG map.
Local police or sheriff: use the non-emergency number to file a report. If the victim is an older adult or a person with a disability, the CFPB also suggests contacting your local adult protective services agency, which is run at the state or county level.
A problem with your bank or payment company: you can file a complaint with the CFPB at (855) 411-2372.

Good to know

Search the person's job title plus the word "scammer": the FTC suggests this to see whether others have reported the same story.
Romance scams often turn into investment scams: the "partner" offers to help you invest in cryptocurrency.
If someone hacked a friend's account to ask you for money, see Social media account hacked: what to do.

Linda, 68, has been chatting for two months with "Richard," an engineer working overseas. He has never managed a video call. One day he asks for $2,000 to release a package held at customs. Linda tells her daughter, who runs a reverse image search and finds Richard's photos on another profile under a different name. Linda sends nothing, blocks him, reports the profile to the app and files a report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

A made-up story, for illustration.

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on November 5, 2026, for the United States. Confidence: high for the warning signs and what to do, described by the FTC, the FBI and the CFPB; high for the 2025 social media figure (FTC, April 2026); medium for local help, which varies by state and county. This guide informs and is not legal advice.