{"id":56460,"date":"2020-10-22T12:47:54","date_gmt":"2020-10-22T12:47:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/?p=56460"},"modified":"2026-01-06T10:31:34","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T10:31:34","slug":"romance-scam-warning-signs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/romance\/romance-scam-warning-signs\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Romance Scam Warning Signs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56464\" src=\"https:\/\/image.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/romance-scam-warning-signs.jpg\" alt=\"Heart Shape Paper With Sign of Romance Scam\" width=\"804\" height=\"350\"><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/love\/single-looking-for-love\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Looking for love<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">? Many of us turn to online dating to find &lsquo;the one,&rsquo; but things don&rsquo;t always go to plan.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You might think there&rsquo;s nothing more dangerous out there than a few hungry catfish, but the truth is a lot more sinister.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Online dating scammers take advantage of vulnerable singletons to bleed them of cash &ndash; and their <\/span><b>romance scams are getting more sophisticated all the time.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><strong>Also watch:<\/strong><br><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lbhsxGSHUc8\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What-you-need-to-know-about-romance-scams\"><\/span>What you need to know about romance scams<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Online romance scams are big news, and they&rsquo;re getting bigger.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the US, the number of people reporting these crimes<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> nearly tripled between 2015 and 2019<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, with a total of $201 million being lost to scammers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These online romance and dating scams are not unique to America, either. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/how-to-outsmart-a-romance-scammer\/\">Romance scammers<\/a> operate all over the world, and the<\/span><b> internet has given them a new playground to hunt for victims.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most basic MO for romance scammers is simple:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They develop an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/online-relationships-are-doomed-to-fail\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">online relationship<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with someone but never meet in person.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over time, they convince their so-called partner to send them money, buy them gifts, or invest in their business.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They may offer gifts &ndash; but ultimately, they will always take far more than they give.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol><h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Common-types-of-scam-in-action\"><\/span>Common types of scam in action<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many romance scammers prey on elderly or vulnerable people. They&rsquo;ll usually have a story explaining why they&rsquo;re unable to meet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">According to <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/experts\/christiana-njoku\" target=\"_blank\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Christiana Njoku<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, LPC<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The moment they begin to cook up stories as a way to get money and other things from you <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">on a regular basis<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">just<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> know they are love scammers<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> A<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> red flag to watch out for.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perhaps they&rsquo;re working abroad, or they have a complex sob story involving a dangerous ex and a shady past.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In general, <\/span><b>they will present themselves as the perfect match: intelligent, romantic, hardworking<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &ndash; and, of course, very good looking.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The typical romance scammer gets deeply invested in the &ldquo;relationship&rdquo; very early and encourages their victim to do the same.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">classic example<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of a scam in action, the scammer convinced his victim that he wanted to marry her &ndash; without actually meeting her.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/counseling\/the-pros-and-cons-of-online-relationship-counseling\/\">online relationship<\/a> is established, the scammer starts reeling their victim in.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maybe they&rsquo;re going on a trip abroad, and something goes horribly wrong. Maybe they&rsquo;re on the run from an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/domestic-violence-and-abuse\/protect-yourself-from-an-abusive-partner\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">abusive ex<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Maybe they&rsquo;ve been the victim of crime themselves, and suddenly need money to cover rent.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Whatever the reason, a request for money is made<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. As time goes by, these requests become more frequent, more desperate, and require larger and larger sums.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"New-technology-new-romance-scams\"><\/span>New technology, new romance scams<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56463\" src=\"https:\/\/image.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/new-technology-new-romance-scams.jpg\" alt=\"Scammer And Women In Single Frame Dating Scam Concept\" width=\"804\" height=\"350\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For a long time, scammers operated on social networking sites like Facebook.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, their tactics were often unsophisticated; people don&rsquo;t respond well to random friend requests from strangers in foreign countries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nowadays, scammers are more likely to be found on free dating sites<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, where users are actively looking for love &ndash; and making themselves vulnerable in the process.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One common piece of advice if you feel you&rsquo;re being victimized by a scammer is to <\/span><b>do a reverse Google image search of their photo.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This might lead to the discovery that your online sweetheart is not who he says he is &ndash; or it might not.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">this recent case<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the scammer actually had video calls with his victim. Even her friends suspected nothing &ndash; but in fact, it was all an elaborate hoax.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The scammer used new technology to create a fake, computer-generated face, and carry on seemingly normal conversations with his victim.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scammers can also use the latest technology to create supporting documents that seem totally real. For example, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">this elderly man<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was led to believe that he was donating money to a museum.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The scammer sent him bank statements, museum documents, and more &ndash; all of which seemed completely trustworthy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, this is another instance where scammers use their computer skills to fake evidence.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Romance-scam-warning-signs\"><\/span>Romance scam warning signs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The easiest way to avoid scammers is to stay away from their usual stomping grounds.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generally, <\/span><b>scammers stick with free dating sites and apps or social networks.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to WeLoveDates, who operate many paid dating sites, &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re serious about avoiding scammers, create a profile on a paid dating site or app. These services can afford to take better care of their clients, and they use the latest AI and technology to find scammers and send them packing.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Apart from that, here are some key warning signs that your online romance is really a scam:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>1. Your prospective partner won&rsquo;t meet up with you<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, very few people will drop everything to rush out on a date twenty minutes after saying hello (and if they do, that&rsquo;s also a red flag&hellip;for other reasons).<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Christiana Njoku, LPC, highlights that:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>They will keep telling you they love you, but they will never create time to see you.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, if your budding romance has been going on for some time, and your partner always has an excuse, that&rsquo;s a definite warning sign.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>2. Your partner makes plans to meet with you, but they fall through<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For bonus points, they fall through in the most dramatic style: on the way to the airport, your love interest gets hit by a truck.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, it could happen &ndash; but is it likely? If this type of drama happens more than once, it&rsquo;s definitely past time to say sayonara.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>3. Your partner&rsquo;s pictures don&rsquo;t seem natural<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Scammers are getting more and more sophisticated<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> when it comes to photo &ldquo;evidence&rdquo; of who they are, but many of them still fall at this hurdle.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If all their photos look like they were taken at the office, then they might be stolen from someone&rsquo;s LinkedIn profile.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If they&rsquo;re all super-sexy, or clearly posed, then that&rsquo;s another problem.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>4. Your partner&rsquo;s story doesn&rsquo;t add up<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, she claims to have a university degree, but her spelling and grammar suggest otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Do some sleuthing if you need to<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: find out where she studied, what her favorite bar is if she&rsquo;s a member of any clubs&hellip;then start googling, to see how much of her life actually exists.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>5. Your partner goes from &ldquo;hello&rdquo; to &ldquo;I love you&rdquo; in no time at all<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is hard to gauge, because you may be <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/emotional-intimacy\/how-important-is-an-emotional-connection-in-a-relationship\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">feeling strong emotions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, too.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember, though: until you meet someone in person, you should never give away too much.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is generally <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/online-dating-tips-for-successful-relationship\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">good advice for online dating<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, even if there&rsquo;s no scam involved. Stay cautious and never overinvest in something that may not even be real.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>6. The bottom line on romance scams<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sticking with a paid dating service, rather than a free app, is a great way to avoid most of the scammers. However, always be on your guard, as a few of these criminals may slip through the net.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember the golden rule of online dating: <\/span><b>until you&rsquo;re absolutely sure of someone&rsquo;s intentions, never give your heart &ndash; or your money<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &ndash; away.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":""},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Looking for love? Many of us turn to online dating to find &lsquo;the one,&rsquo; but things don&rsquo;t always go to plan. You might think there&rsquo;s nothing more dangerous out there than a few hungry catfish, but the truth is a lot more sinister. Online dating scammers take advantage of vulnerable singletons to bleed them of cash &ndash; and their romance scams are getting more sophisticated all the time. Also watch: What you need to know about romance scams Online romance scams are big news, and they&rsquo;re getting bigger. In the US, the number of people reporting these crimes nearly tripled <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":751,"featured_media":56464,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2498],"tags":[2581],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56460"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/751"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56460"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56460\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":116177,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56460\/revisions\/116177"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56464"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56460"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56460"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56460"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}