A romance scammer uses a false identity and an apparent relationship to build trust, then asks for money, account access, or an investment. Treat requests for money or financial information as serious warning signs, verify claims before acting, and contact the payment provider immediately if you have already sent money. U.S. complaint data show substantial reported losses, but do not measure every victimization—and the available official figures do not establish that scammers are getting harder to catch.
How a romance scam works
The scam often begins with a fake identity on a dating service or social media. The person builds affection and trust, sometimes talking about marriage or promising to meet in person. Once the relationship feels established, they create a reason to ask for money or steer the conversation toward an investment.
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The FBI says a scammer may claim to work in construction or another field on a project outside the United States. That story can make a long absence seem plausible and set up requests for emergency money. The FTC describes requests for travel costs, medical care, a visa, legal trouble, or an investment. A scammer may also quickly try to move the conversation from a dating service to email, phone, or messaging.
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Social media is another common starting point. The FTC says nearly 60% of people who reported losing money to a romance scam in 2025 said it began on social media. That figure is a share of people reporting a loss—not of all scams or all social-media users. Scammers may tailor a pitch using profile details, invent a crisis, or introduce investment advice that leads to a fake investment platform.
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What the reported losses show—and what they do not
The FTC’s April 2026 release reports $2.1 billion in losses to scams that began on social media in 2025, across all scam types. It says reported social-media scam losses overall were eight times as high in 2025 as in 2020. Neither figure is specific to romance scams, and reported losses are not a census of all victimization. FTC: New FTC Data Show People Have Lost Billions to Social Media Scams.
A separate FTC alert published in May 2026 says reported romance-scam losses rose 22% in 2025, but displays the total as “$1.48 million” and the average loss as $2,020 per person. Those figures appear internally inconsistent: dividing the displayed total by the average implies roughly 733 reported loss incidents. The alert does not establish a corrected total, so it would be misleading to silently change “million” to another unit. The 22% figure is an increase in reported losses as presented by the FTC, not proof that romance fraud has become harder to detect. FTC: New trends in reports of imposter scams.
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Warning signs to take seriously
One sign alone does not prove that an online contact is a scammer. A cluster of these behaviors—especially a request for money or financial access—deserves a pause and an independent check.
- Fast, intense commitment: They become intensely affectionate, talk about marriage early, or press you to commit before you have met.
- Repeatedly canceled plans: They promise to meet but cancel again and again, often with a new emergency or work-related explanation. The FBI advises suspicion if you have not met an online contact after a few months.
- Requests involving money or accounts: They ask for money, gifts, financial information, bank credentials, or permission to use your bank account. The FBI warns: “If someone you meet online needs your bank account information to deposit money, they are most likely using your account to carry out other theft and fraud schemes.”
- Pressure to change platforms or cut off support: They want to move away from the dating service or social platform, or try to isolate you from friends and family.
- Investment pitches or sensitive material: They introduce a crypto opportunity or other investment after trust has formed, or ask for intimate images or information that could be used for extortion.
- Hard-to-reverse payment methods: They request a wire transfer, gift card, money-transfer app payment, or cryptocurrency. These methods can make it harder to reverse or recover money.
Checks to make before you pay or share information
- Slow down and ask questions. Do not let a crisis, declaration of love, or investment opportunity rush a financial decision.
- Verify the story independently. Search the person’s claimed job together with the word “scammer,” and reverse-image-search their profile picture. These checks can reveal inconsistencies, but they cannot certify someone’s identity.
- Talk to someone you trust. Share the situation with a friend or family member, particularly if the person wants secrecy or discourages outside advice.
- Keep your account and personal information private. Do not share bank credentials, accept a request to receive or forward money, or send money or gifts to someone you have not met in person. Review the visibility of your social posts and contacts.
- Preserve the details. If a request seems suspicious, keep the messages and payment information. Do not send money to test the person or to resolve a supposed emergency.
The FTC’s guidance is direct: “Never send money or gifts to a sweetheart you haven’t met in person.” See FTC: What To Know About Romance Scams and the FBI’s Romance Scams guidance.
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What to do if you already sent money
- Stop communicating with the person. Do not send another payment or share additional information.
- Contact the company that handled the payment immediately. Explain that it went to a scammer and ask whether the transfer can be stopped or the payment refunded. Depending on how you paid, contact your bank, card issuer, gift-card company, wire-transfer service, money-transfer app, or cryptocurrency platform.
- Report the account to the platform. Notify the dating service or social-media site where the contact began or communicated with you.
- Make official reports. Report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FBI directs people to report romance scams to IC3.gov.
- Keep records. Save messages, usernames, payment receipts, and relevant transaction details for your payment provider and reports.
A provider may be able to advise whether a payment can be stopped or refunded, but the FTC and FBI guidance does not guarantee recovery. Do not assume a payment can be retrieved just because you report it.
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- Easy to Use: just remove the lid on the ID stamp blocker roller and open it, and then gently slide it on the place where the information needs to be covered. It is suitable for most ordinary paper with black words, and can protect your personal privacy in time
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