Romance scams

A romance scam starts with a fake love interest. The scammer uses stolen photos, builds trust over weeks, then invents an emergency to ask for money. The same profile and the same script are used on many victims at once. That reuse is what makes romance scams detectable: the scammer rarely changes photo, username or number from one victim to the next.

How a romance scam unfolds

The playbook is almost always the same:

• First contact on a dating app or social network, with a very polished profile.
• Strong declarations of love within days, then a move to WhatsApp or Telegram.
• Refusal to appear on video, with a new excuse each time: military deployment, oil rig, humanitarian mission abroad.
• A request for money for an emergency: medical bills, a parcel in customs, a plane ticket, an investment “you can’t miss”.

Warning signs

• Few photos, too polished, model-like.
• Refuses to appear on a video call.
• Always cancels in-person meetings at the last minute.
• Asks for money, gift cards or cryptocurrency.
• Insists on keeping the relationship secret.

What to do if you’re unsure

You don’t need proof to protect yourself.

• Stop sending money and gifts.
• Run a reverse image search on the profile photo.
• Check the photo, number or profile link on NoDuble.
• Talk to someone you trust: an outside view sees what emotion hides.
• Report the profile to the platform, then report it here to warn others.

If you’ve already sent money

You’re not to blame: these networks manipulate thousands of people.

Contact your bank right away to try to block or recall the transfer.

Keep all the evidence: conversations, the profile, numbers, payment references.

File a report, then see where to report a scam by country.

Send nothing more. An offer to “help recover the lost money” for an upfront fee is the same scam a second time.

Frequently asked questions

Not sure about a profile? Check a photo, number or link, or report a profile to protect others.