How to Spot Romance Scams Online

Romance scams are not improvised. They follow well-documented scripts, and once you know the structure, they become much easier to recognize.

The typical script

1. Fast, intense connection. Love bombing — declarations of strong feelings within days — is designed to short-circuit your judgment.
2. A reason they can't meet or video call. Military deployment, an offshore job, a medical career abroad, a broken camera.
3. A slow build of trust, often weeks of daily messages with growing intimacy.
4. The crisis. A hospital bill, customs fees, a frozen bank account, a flight they can't afford.
5. The ask. Money, gift cards, cryptocurrency — or an "investment opportunity" that will supposedly change both your lives.

The nine warning signs

• They declare love unusually fast.
• Their profile photos look professionally staged or their life sounds like a movie.
• They always have a reason to avoid video calls.
• Stories are dramatic, urgent and change when questioned.
• They ask you to move to WhatsApp, Telegram or another app early.
• Any mention of money — asking, offering, or "investing together".
• Gift cards, crypto or wire transfers are mentioned at all.
• They push for intimacy or personal details (address, workplace) very quickly.
• They become guilt-tripping or hostile when you express doubt.

What to do

Never send money to someone you have only met online — this is the single rule that defeats every script. Use reverse image search on suspicious photos. Keep conversations on the platform where moderation can protect you. And report anything suspicious: every report is reviewed by a human, and reports protect other members too.

If it happened to you

It is not your fault — these scams are run by organized teams who do this for a living. Stop contact, block the account, report it on the platform, and if you lost money, contact your bank and local police immediately. Filing a report also helps platforms and authorities dismantle these operations.