Key Takeaways
- Romance scams are a growing form of financial fraud where scammers pretend to pursue a relationship to gain a victim’s trust.
- These confidence scams use emotional manipulation to convince a scam victim to send money or share personal or financial information.
- You can reduce your risk by recognizing red flags, protecting your information and talking openly with trusted friends or family members.
In an era when more couples are finding love online, fraudsters have become incredibly adept at scamming unsuspecting victims for large sums of money. Romance scams — sometimes called online romance scams or relationship scams — have emerged as a common and emotionally devastating form of fraud, where a scammer gains the trust of someone seeking a relationship and uses that trust to steal money or personal information.
The Dangers of Romance Scams
According to the Federal Trade Commission, reported losses due to romance scams in the United States totaled more than $1.16 billion in 2025 alone, with many victims losing their entire savings. Most romance scammers accomplish their theft by using fake profiles and false identities to build an online relationship with a potential victim. They often connect on a dating app, dating site or social media platform, using the illusion of a romantic relationship to convince the victim to send money or share personal information that can be used to steal their identity.
Romance scams work because they exploit emotions first and finances second. Scammers are often willing to spend months building trust, often using stolen photos or AI-generated images to establish credible identities and carefully studying a potential victim’s social media to tailor their story.
However, the dangers of romance scams aren’t just financial; they’re emotional as well. Victims of this type of fraud often experience deep depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A key manipulation strategy used by many romance scammers is to “love bomb” their victims by showering them with excessive affection and attention to establish a rapid emotional bond. They may also encourage secrecy or isolation from friends and loved ones, which can make their eventual betrayal even more emotionally devastating.
Red Flags
Many romance scammers follow a similar playbook, and becoming familiar with common red flags can help you avoid falling victim.
Has an excuse for never meeting in person
Fraudsters typically have an excuse for why they can’t video call or meet in person. Common stories include traveling outside the United States, military deployment, a job on an oil rig or working with an international organization. They may suggest that technical issues, security rules or strict employers prevent them from using video calls, which is often a sign you’re dealing with a fake profile.
Professes love quickly
Scammers often “fall in love” quickly and love bomb their victims in an attempt to gain their trust. Within days or weeks, they may call you their soulmate, talk about marriage or future plans, and encourage you to move communication off the dating platform onto a private messaging or social media app. This fast‑moving intensity can be a major red flag.
Asks for money for emergency expenses
Once they’ve established trust, romance scammers often ask for money to cover urgent or emotional expenses, such as:
- Medical bills for themselves or a sick relative
- A plane ticket or visa fees to come visit you
- Legal costs, customs fees or “taxes” required to access an inheritance
They typically request payment through methods that are hard to reverse or trace, such as gift cards, wire transfers or crypto assets. Any request for you to send money to someone you’ve never met in person — especially through these channels — should be treated as a serious warning sign.
Encourages you to invest in a “can’t miss” opportunity
In some relationship investment scams, a fraudster will present a “once-in-a-lifetime” investment opportunity, often involving digital assets or other complex products. They may claim to have a sure-thing strategy in crypto assets or foreign currency trading and share fake screenshots of high returns. To participate, you’re often asked to send funds via wire transfer or to a digital wallet the scammer controls.
How to Protect Yourself
Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to help protect yourself from a romance scam and other types of financial fraud. For a broader overview of scams and prevention tips, you can also review Creative Planning’s insights on protecting yourself from financial fraud.
Reverse image search
Use a reverse image search on the person’s profile picture and any other images to see whether the photos appear elsewhere online. If the same image is tied to a different name or story, or if it’s a stock photo, it’s a strong clue you may be dealing with a romance scammer.
Never send money
It’s not just cash that scammers target. Many will ask for assets that are difficult to trace, such as gift cards, bank and wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. Remember that many fraudsters use emotional manipulation to pressure potential victims into acting quickly, so don’t let a sad story or urgent request override your usual safeguards. A legitimate romantic partner won’t require you to send money to someone you’ve never met in person.
Protect your personal and financial information
In addition to money, many romance scams aim to steal victims’ identities. Avoid sharing sensitive personal information, such as your full Social Security number, bank account details, investment account logins or copies of ID documents. Even details like your mother’s maiden name, your first pet or the street you grew up on can be used to guess passwords and security questions.
Talk to your friends and family
Fraudsters often encourage their victims to keep the relationship secret or cut ties with friends and family members. Isolation is a common and effective manipulation strategy, which is why it’s important to maintain your existing relationships and be open about new online connections. Tell your loved ones about your new love interest, and be willing to listen if they express concerns about red flags you may be overlooking.
Be suspicious of anyone who refuses to meet in person
It’s always important to exercise caution when setting up an in-person meeting with someone you’ve been talking to online. However, it’s equally important to be wary of someone who continually has an excuse for why they can’t meet in person or chat via video call. Repeatedly cancelled visits, “emergencies” that always arise at the last minute or ongoing claims that a camera is broken can all be signs of a romance scam.
Know How and Where to Report Scams
If you suspect you’re interacting with a romance scammer, stop all contact and consider reporting the situation to the platform where you connected and the appropriate authorities. In the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission both collect reports and publish guidance on romance and “financial grooming” scams, and some financial institutions and investor protection organizations also provide resources to assist victims of fraud. Timely reporting can help protect others from falling victim to the same scam.
