February 11, 2025
People sign up for dating apps in hopes of meeting the love of their life. However, they can unintentionally meet scammers instead. Romance scams continue to pose a significant threat by exploiting vulnerable individuals seeking meaningful connections online. Scammers play on victims’ emotions and trust, using fabricated stories to manipulate their victims resulting in financial loss or emotional distress.
Last year we provided instruction on how to navigate online dating safely. Even with increased awareness, the Federal Trade Commission reported a staggering $1.14 billion lost in 2023 from victims of romance scams. Scammers have no preference in choosing their targets; all demographics are at risk. These criminals have dedicated their lives to studying human behavior and using technology to victimize innocent people.
As their tactics evolve, staying informed and adopting safe practices is essential to protect yourself and your loved ones.
Potential suitors may not be who they say they are.
- A cybercriminal’s profile can look real to convince potential victims. However, bad actors can use someone else’s photo, a stock photo or an AI-generated image.
- Run the profile picture through a “reverse image search” to verify that it is not a stock or stolen photo.
- Trust your judgment to spot AI generated images. Look closely at details, especially fingers and writing on clothing. Hands can have extra fingers or look disjointed and incorrect. Writing on clothing and signs in the background of photos is often gibberish. While filters can make real pictures look airbrushed and higher quality, AI images look too perfect. If the features of the person’s profile picture are too smooth and flawless, there is a good chance it is an AI image.
Never send money.
- Scammers often fabricate urgent situations such as medical emergencies, unpaid bills or travel difficulties to pressure a sympathetic victim into sending money. These requests may start small and escalate over time, creating a false sense of responsibility in the victim.
- They typically request payment through untraceable methods, like gift cards, wire transfers or cryptocurrency. These methods make it difficult to recover funds.
- Legitimate romantic connections are not founded upon urgent financial requests. Always treat any plea for money as a red flag.
Be cautious of potential partners that push investment opportunities.
- Your potential love interest may bring up “investment opportunities” during your conversations, claiming these investments can help build a future together or secure financial stability.
- These elaborate scams involve fake (but convincing) websites, fraudulent apps or unregulated cryptocurrency schemes, luring victims with promises of high returns earned quickly.
- Beware of anyone who pressures you to invest money or shares “exclusive tips” without verifiable proof of legitimacy. Legitimate investments don’t require urgency or secrecy.
Keep communications on official platform.
- Scammers often request that their victim take the conversation off the dating app or platform and move to private messaging apps. This change makes it difficult for the platform to monitor fraudulent activity.
- Communicating only on the original platform allows you to use built-in reporting and blocking tools if suspicious behavior arises.
- Platforms with established safety measures can help verify users, making it easier to identify and avoid potential scammers.
Do not overshare on dating and social media apps.
- Scammers are always fishing for personal details, such as your address, workplace or financial status, often under the guise of building a connection.
- Sharing this information can make you vulnerable to identity theft, blackmail or further manipulation.
- Limit what you disclose about your life, especially early in a relationship. Stay cautious, even if the person seems genuine and attentive.
- Never send photos that could be used against you, with the threat of ruining your reputation, to extort funds.
Take appropriate action if you’re a victim.
- If you suspect you are being victimized by a scammer, immediately stop communicating with the individual and document all messages, emails and/or financial transactions as evidence.
- Report the incident to the platform where you met the scammer and file a complaint with your local authorities, as well as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
- Reach out to your bank or payment provider to attempt to halt transactions or recover funds. If you’ve shared sensitive information, consider freezing your credit and monitoring for identity theft.
- Change your passwords on all accounts. When one account is compromised, it puts the others at risk.
Meet in person only when you are ready.
- Suggest meeting in a safe, public place after taking your time and learn a lot about your potential partner. Genuine connections are usually open to in-person meetings.
- Scammers often avoid in-person interactions, citing excuses like working abroad, military deployment or sudden emergencies.
- Meeting face-to-face can provide a better sense of the person’s authenticity and intentions, reducing the risk of deception.
Romance scams thrive on emotional manipulation but, by staying vigilant and prioritizing your safety, you can minimize the risk of becoming a victim. By following to these tips, you can foster genuine connections while maintaining control over your personal and financial well-being. Remember, your online safety is as crucial as your offline security, and knowledge is your best defense. Whether you’re navigating dating apps or rekindling old relationships online, these tips are vital to ensuring your interactions remain secure and authentic. Stay informed, stay safe and share this information with others to help combat the growing threat of romance scams.
Cyber Habit of the Month
Know when and how to share personal information safely. Most accepted guidance centers around protecting your personally identifiable information (PII) by not giving it out, but sometimes situations require sharing that information. So, when is it okay to give that valuable information? Be extremely skeptical of text messages and emails requesting information, especially if unsolicited. If you do need to give information to facilitate a transaction, remember to contact the organization directly via a phone number you obtain from their official website or visit their brick-and-mortar location. If they require that the process takes place online, be sure you are connected to internet via a secure internet connection. Public Wi-Fi networks are not secure and should not be used for sensitive transactions. Financial institutions will never ask you for a debit/credit card PIN under any circumstance. If someone requests your PIN, you can be certain it is an attempted scam!
Additional Resources
FTC: What to Know About Romance Scams
FCC: Love & Appiness: How to Avoid Romance Scams
FTC: “Love Stinks” – when a scammer is involved