Online Romance Scam
Scammers build fake romantic relationships, then request money. FBI IC3: 17,910 complaints, $672M losses in 2024.
🚩 Red Flags
- ⚠Relationship moves very fast
- ⚠Can't video chat
- ⚠Never able to meet in person
- ⚠Eventually asks for money
- ⚠Discourages talking to friends/family
🛡️ Protect Yourself
- →NEVER SEND MONEY regardless of story
- →VERIFY: Reverse image search photos
- →VIDEO CHAT before emotional investment
- →If they ask for money, it's a scam
More Details
- “I've never felt this way before”
- “I need money for my flight to see you”
- “I'm in trouble and only you can help”
- “Don't tell your family about us”
Common Questions
Red flags: can't video chat, overseas/military, relationship moves fast, eventually asks for money. If they ask for money, it's a scam.
They're using stolen photos. They can't appear as that person on video. Excuses: broken camera, bad connection, restricted area.
Never. No matter how real the relationship feels. Scammers spend months building trust specifically to ask for money.
Reverse image search: upload to images.google.com. If it appears elsewhere with different names, it's stolen.
Report This Scam
If you've encountered this scam, report it to help protect others.
Warn Someone You Know
Know someone who might fall for this? Share this warning with them.
Related Scams
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Romance + fake crypto investment. FBI IC3: 47,919 complaints, $6.57B losses in 2024 (44% increase). Named because scammers "fatten" victims before "slaughter."
Wrong Number Text Scam
Scammers send "accidental" texts to start conversations leading to romance scams or crypto fraud.
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73% of Americans targeted(Pew, 2025)
|$470M lost to text scams in 2024(FTC)
|$16.6B total losses(FBI IC3, 2024)