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Image of cupid and heartNot everyone using online dating sites is looking for love. Scammers create fake online profiles using photos of other people — even stolen pictures of real military personnel. They profess their love quickly. And they tug at your heartstrings with made-up stories about how they need money — for emergencies, hospital bills, or travel. Why all of the tricks? They’re looking to steal your money.

As if all that isn’t bad enough, romance scammers are now involving their victims in online bank fraud. Here’s how it works: The scammers set up dating profiles to meet potential victims. After they form a “relationship,” they come up with reasons to ask their love interest to set up a new bank account. The scammers transfer stolen money into the new account, and then tell their victims to wire the money out of the country. Victims think they’re just helping out their soulmate, never realizing they’re aiding and abetting a crime.  

Here are some warning signs that an online love interest might be a fake. They ask you to:

  • chat off of the dating site immediately, using personal email, text, or phone
  • wire money using Western Union or Money Gram
  • set up a new bank account

Did you know you can do an image search of your love interest’s photo in your favorite search engine? If you do an image search and the person’s photo appears under several different names, you’re probably dealing with a scammer. And if the person’s online profile disappears a few days after they meet you, that’s another tip-off.

Here’s the real deal: Don’t send money to someone you met online — for any reason. If your online sweetheart asks for money, you can expect it’s a scam.

Unfortunately, online dating scams are all too common. There may be tens of thousands of victims, and only a small fraction report it to the FTC. If this happens to you, please report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

A woman looking at a dating site on her computer.

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The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.

  • We won’t post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions.
  • We won’t post comments that include vulgar messages, personal attacks by name, or offensive terms that target specific people or groups.
  • We won’t post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity.
  • We won’t post comments that include personal information, like Social Security numbers, account numbers, home addresses, and email addresses. To file a detailed report about a scam, go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission.

Jackbrez
May 05, 2021
Anyone know about a girl named Lizzy? She says she’s from the Netherlands. I’ve spoken to her, she sounds Russian.
ChristmasCookie
May 05, 2021
Anyone been talking to , invited by Rameriz Connell, supposedly in Finland saying USN or Dave Smith claiming in US Army and his 'commander' claiming in Syria
gogetter123
May 05, 2021
Has anyone been scammed by Robert Flores Harvey claiming to be a sergeant in the US Army stationed at the Cameroon boarder outside of West Africa. He used FaceBook dating app and whatsapp
Moa
May 11, 2021
Is look like the same history. The boy who spoke to me used the name Alex Mario.I met him on a Swedish website. He was German and Moroccan and lived in the USA. His daughter lived with her mother in Germany. He said he worked on a military ship and was traveling from Dubai to Mexico. He text me every day early in the morning and tell me how much he loved me. We talked for a week but only three days later he said he wanted to send me a gift and that I had to pay 550 euros in taxes. They also sent me a message by whtsapp and call me from india airport informing me of the shipment and asking me to pay the taxes to receive the package.when I refused to pay the shipping he told me that he did not understand what was wrong with me. He got angry with me and told me not to communicate with him anymore because he did not want people who would argue like me in his life. I have some photos and I would like to know if someone also has photos to identify the person. I hope my story helps more people not to be scammed.
Itsome1979
May 11, 2021
Any one come across a Lana Nicolas apparently from Los Angeles? She’s 21
Chad
May 13, 2021
I got a text off a girl on Instagram and stuff they want to chat on google hangouts and answered and straight away start harassing me and threatening me saying I’m sending videos to your family and friends in 24 hours
Shorty456
May 22, 2021
Hi ladies anyone been in contact with a Michael powell from New Jersey is an independent contractor for power company and is currently in Norway working but having trouble as machine broke and is stuck asked me to log into an account to transfer money over but it said he needed to pay money to use the account just seemed odd to me sends love songs and poems n I question we him about it didn't get for almost a week but trying and ringing again any advice would be most appreciated thanks
Taken by surprise
May 22, 2021
I met someone on Scrabble. They said they were working in Belgium in some military capacity. They needed money to retrieve a box they sent to a safe-house in Turkey. They say the pandemic caught them unawares so they were short of money. They convinced me to send them 2700 so they could fly to Istanbul to retrieve their box. Once there they said the government seized their box and now they need almost 30,000 to collect their box. They also need 2400 to pay hotel bills. They are now threatening suicide.
Nickycyp1424
May 22, 2021
Anyone heard of a Taylor M Brown met on Facebook now talking on Messenger, showing signs of being catfish, hope he’s not but anyone else heard of him?
Lilada
June 08, 2021

In reply to by Nickycyp1424

Hey is he in us army??? Do you have pictures of him?? I think my friend is been scammed by him aswell. Tall, dark hair, bodybuilding body and tattoo on his arm and stomach???
Lilada
June 10, 2021

In reply to by Nickycyp1424

My friend has been chatting with him but from tinder but same name. Tall guy,brown hair, brown eyes and tattoos as actually the picture is taken from a different Instagram account. He is scammer
ala
May 23, 2021
Hey, does anyone got a message from Austin Andrez, telling you that he is in US army, a soldier currently living in iraq and that he is on a peacemission ? He told me too much about his personal details, also, what was weird, asked me if I am married or not. And that's when I started to suspect that he is going to use this information later on very wisely... He told me about his late wife who was killed in a car accident, and also, that he has a daughter.... He said, that he can't talk with me on instagram, because it is forbidden for soldiers to have it or chat due to the safety measures.. And the first thought of mine was, when why he did connect on it in the first place, if he know how risky it is.... Also, he made a lot of mistakes...I am not native at English, but a few times he wrote HIS, HIM, HE ( talking about his daughter) ... When He ask me for my personal email to chat more on Google hangout... I didn't give him that. I'm just writting this in case, that maybe someone is searching also if it's a scam or not. And if someone got similar message, please, be careful.
ScaredinAZ
May 24, 2021
I think this is happening to my Mom. Anyone dealing or dealt with a Lucas Romani??? I think he sent her money and had her take it out and send to him, then he takes the money he had sent back out of her account. I haven’t confronted her yet and am so worried!!!
Marie
May 24, 2021
Apparently the person I've been talking to over a year is a scammer as well I had no idea this was going on in Nigeria and Africa no wonder he said to get a hold of him on WhatsApp
Ms.missy
June 02, 2021
Does anyone know or been used by a david mason. Or mason david.
Sisterinlaw
June 02, 2021
I have a question. My husband's sister says she's talking to two men. She says they're sending HER money to save for them. I know it's a scam, but how's it work?
G8or91
June 02, 2021
I got a dating app for dog lovers called Dig. You have to pay to use it, so I thought it was a safe bet. A man who claimed to be born in Paris, living in Portland Oregon, contacted me. He claimed to be a pipeline engineer. Want edyou to text me instead of communicating through the app, many times a day he sent sweet romantic messages. Said he wanted to hear my voice, and he called me and instantly I knew he was a scammer by his accent. Went by the name Russell Luis. Said he had a mixed accent because he had traveled so much. I did not buy his explanation and I blocked him after he found all kinds of excuses not to video chat. Claimed he could not use Skype or zoom or FaceTime, wanted me to go to Google hangouts which, when I looked it up, has been famous for scammers. I see that others have encountered this same scammer. Thank GodI figured it out early!
wynnlover1
June 02, 2021
I met this guy on Facebook,and we have been talking on hangouts,and his name is Mathew Needslove,and he was supposed to be my next husband,until he threatened me,and said,that if I don't give him 500$ by Friday,that he was going to destroy my life.I have already sent a whole lot of money to Vietnam hospital for him,and also to immigration for him,and 200$ for him to eat on in Vietnam,and he supposedly made it to Turkey(Istanbul),and is in their jail on his phone threatening me.I put the conversation in archives.
Manjulap
June 03, 2021
I have been talking to a man named Elliot Grayson . He told me he lives in San Antonio Texas and is working on a contract on a rig in the black sea in Turkey. Asked for ITUNE cards and last night asked me to help him with 5000.00 to pay for 2 broken parts for a machine. Told me he can not access his money from America. He told me when he was 10years old his parents died in a car crash and he was raised in an orphanage. Says he has a daughter 7 years old who is being taken care of by a nannie at home.
sohurt
June 03, 2021
Does anyone know a guy named Kennedy with strong accent or Andrew Steven a very handsome engineer on an oil rig
ali_carrasco736
June 03, 2021
Does anyone know Donald Marsh? Supposedly he's in the military, contacted me via Facebook and then on Hangouts. He tells me that he loves me and that he has a 13 yo daughter that is in the states with the nanny because he lost his parents when he was 15. Got upset with me because I did not want to send him money for the phone service so that he can continue to chat with me and his daughter. He stated that is was going to be $250. I thought that the military had services for our armed forces to communicate with family. He called me today and it didn't sound like a guy from the states, it sounded like a guy from Africa. Got upset because I haven't told my family about him. I'm like really dude. He sent me pictures of himself but I think that he got them off the internet because I googled him and he's not in Africa....
Fed up with scammers
June 04, 2021
So I found out the real identity of the person who’s photos were used. I recommend doing a reverse image search if anything is off. Especially if that person puts off meeting you. I sent that person an message. He is married and I think what problems that could have caused.
SAL578
June 04, 2021
Anybody have dealings with a girl named ANNIE BROWN from DC area approx 32 ?
HRH
June 05, 2021
Anyone talk with a man named Joe Christ, Says he is is a Capt. in US Army.
Racc
June 05, 2021
I accepted friendship with a "military" general assigned in Iraq by the name of Will Abrams. He said he was a widower, no children, no one back home in the states. That was on 6/5/21. On the second day he started to declare his love. He asked me to install Hangouts to be able to.communicate only with him. Before that week ended he said that because of me he has applied for retirement and planned to come over the country where I live. But that he kept a fund in an indian bank nearly a million USD but that he needed to take this out before finally leaving the camp for retirement. The fund he said was awarded to him and to those who signed a contract before being deployed in Iraq and for safekeeping he couriered the cheque to this indian bank. He asked me be his nearest kin inorder to transfer the money to my bank account to.which I said "no way". Ask the bank to issue a cheque in your name then come here to collect the cheque from me, I told him. So I wrote to this bank. The reply was that they required a POA. In leiu of this he asked me to obtain the POA from his lawyer in India!! The lawyer required 1200 USD for the said POA. Already I was sensing he was a scammer although he constantly denied. He pleaded for my assistance to do this process so he could transfer this fund prior to leaving the camp. Said he couldn't leave unless this was transferred to me. So pitying him I took the risk by transferring 1200 USD to a designated bank account by thus lawyer in India this supposed person in Netherlands. I spent money to enable me to confirm my doubts that this Will was a scammer. I expected that following this POA issue which I received in my email 2 days after I made the transfer!! It was quick! So I forwarded this POA to the bank and got a response informing me that the bank account was dormant and inorder to activate the account I would need to pay 5 thousand EUROS. My doubts have been confirmed that all of them were in connivance..Will, the lawyer and the bank. He pleaded with me to pay the bank. I told him I had no money and would need to pay up the 1200 USD that was transferred for issuing the POA. He said I was the only person who could help him. To be honest, I was falling for him. Yesterday he called me by messenger abd he sounded a young person who spoke very faintly, that I could hardly decipher his words. He didn't sound a person as he claims to be with authority in the USA military service. He sounded as though he was someone from the africas somewhere probably from Morroco or Algier. I decided to terminate every means of contact with him. I deleted my email, the hangouts app, blocked him im my Facebook and Messenger. Today he appears asking me to accept him in facebook. I will not accept his invitation since this will mean a duel in pleading with me to pay the 5 thousand USD to the bank which never ends. I am so.much under stress and pressured that its a horrendous experience. Please if anyone here knows his name on line inform me and never accept his invitation to chat. Thank you
Please Help Me…
June 05, 2021
Ok so my Mother has been talking on a app called kik, I beleive l, to a Dr. Micheal. He even sent her a " photo passport" She claims she is in love 4 days after meeting him and they were constantly texting and then she started going on errands and I would find itunes cards and ebay cards and she was going to shops to get bit coin. What ever that is. He told her he would be moving to the states and starting a practice. He claimed he is a orthopedic surgeon but only after saying he was a childrens bone Dr. He sent her a huge chunk of money and told her to cash it out and send certain amounts in cash to differnt locations in the states. And she did and he told her to keep 12,000 for herself and so she paid off everything she owed besides her home. Big loans and dr bills all that and then she started spoling us and talking about him coming for Christmas moving in with him and that he had a pool and my Lil sister could do swim there. I told her staright it was a scam and she said I just didnt know him , he was about to send a second round of money when her bank caught on and made her come in with police. For embezzlement and fraud and she was almost arrested. She had to pay the 22 back with interest and is still working it off , but Dr. Micheal called her again, threatened her and us and demanded she talk to him Two weeks later I find out shes again talking to him and he is claiming he is sorry and he won t do it again , she says she wont send any more but I really need help with any info as I cant trust her anymore. Please any info or if you were scammed by this guy too
Taken by surprise
June 06, 2021
Has anyone else had the experience of a scammer threatening suicide and sending pictures of bloody appendages.
Concerned daughter
June 06, 2021
This is a scammer right? Well, I also have a very small background. Like I said earlier I was born in Germany and moved to the state at the age of 11 with my father after I lost my mum, I lost him as well after I completed college and since then I’ve been facing my life all alone. I got married in 1981 and got divorced in 2005 after I found out my ex wife was cheating with a friend of mine which they both escaped and not be found nowhere. I had a daughter which also got married and had a kid but she passed away with her husband in an accident on their way to pick up their son from school. So since then I was left alone with my grandson, Michael but he’s now in school.
Tuff T
June 06, 2021
I met a Nigerian man on Facebook we have been conversating for 2 months now on messagener I like him a lot. He claims he has feelings for me has never ask me for anything says he wants to meet me and be with me. Say I'm his queen and he's going to take care of me and we'll be happy together. I hear alot of people say this is a no no. So could this be real are there any success stories of online dating from men in Nigeria. I'm an american woman.
Broken-hearted
June 06, 2021
Please tell me if anyone has been scammed byFred Morgan. He initially said he was in Iceland then stopped in Alaska with Covid but has made it back the Nashville. I have given him iTunes cards, sent cash in the mail, and he still refuses go give me his address or call me since returning. I am stating to think I may being scammed.
Lara
June 07, 2021

In reply to by Broken-hearted

Have You more info about this man ? photo, handy nummer, facebook name or something else ?
Fred James
June 07, 2021
Has anyone been involved in a so called inheiratence scam a young lady, if been talking to now needs 7000.00 to pay the bank to open her dead father's bank acct. In turkey
Sassy
June 07, 2021
I met this guy online said in in the military we been talking for a while. He said he is in UN he told me he want to be with me so we can build a relationship together. But he need a credit card so he can pay his guy before he can leave he want me send my credit card information so he can put his retirement money on it so I can send the money to him so he can leave to come home to me my Saturday. He told me to write to the UN and tell that I will send the information.
Samantha
June 07, 2021
Met a man on f/b who claims to a famous actor ( he has all or some of the person's financial info. which is scary since I saw it with the person's picture attached!)after a month declared his love for me. This all has scared the life out of me.Then asked me for money for an orphanage in Africa. I didn't comply then the accusations began that I was being truthful. Then he started using the money as a condition for us to meet. it's much worse than I can let on.Wanted me to send him cash through his bitcion wallet. Asked me for my social security number, bank routing , address etc.,., now that I haven't complied wants to call the relation off. Not sure whom to report this to in case the actor is a victim as well as myself.
carollin
June 07, 2021
could i be actually talking to more than 1 scammer at a time. Both chatted me up/moved to other platform/ call me babe and darling/they both have called me and talked and both have sent pictures. what can i do? I do not know how to even begin to tell at this point.
Tgirl2021
June 08, 2021
Has anyone been talking to a “Chris Wilson” late 50s has a son Jacob. Wife died at childbirth with second child. Works at oil rigs. Had to go to turkey for a job. Got burnt in a work place accident. He is handsome, grey hair wearing a suit in one photo. Has a dog also.
Yeti
June 08, 2021
Has anyone been connected by Melvin Salm or the last name can be Salmeron. Claiming he's in the military. Also John no last name phone# is 619-483-1816. Pease let me know if anyone has heard or been contacted by this men. Thank you
Jane
June 08, 2021
Corresponded with Mark Forsberg from Facebook dating. Claims to be a 63 year old widow who lost his wife to cancer and had a daughter in her 20’s who is studying medicine in the U.K. He claims to be a Civil Engineer from Sweden who lives in Manhattan. He professed Love immediately which I found to be a red flag, because he never made it possible to meet and then went to Cypress to bid on a hospital job, which he won the bid. He lost his phone while being quarantined, another red flag cause he changed his number. Everytime I mentioned meeting with him he kept saying you get to know someone better by just talking. He kept asking for my email which I didn’t give him. He wrote poetry everyday and told me how I changed his life..a lot of red flags. Then I saw what other people wrote about him and confronted him with the fact that he was a scammer he got livid, I blocked him.
nattycatt
July 01, 2021

In reply to by Jane

Hi Jane It sounds like the same guy except went by Jefferey Forsberg. Total red flag when they don't want to meet in person! Best Natalie
Kcreed
June 10, 2021
Met a couple men on "words with friends " Site. Suspected scammers right away but still got sucked in by one of the. Fortunately no money was lost but must admit...I did lose my heart. Has anyone heard of Donald Markson? 66 yo widower from New York state? Would love to compare notes.
Sasa21
June 10, 2021
Is any one know Liam Christhoper ? He said he is surgeon doctor ,36 years old. American Chinese he said. He want to send me some gifts like shoes,bag,jewelry and some cash.. i think he is scammer where just 3 days chatting and now he told me he really love me. He called me in WhatsApp only in voice call.. if i ask a vedio call he always said he's connection is poor. Please any one can answer me. Thanks
Sam
June 10, 2021
Has anyone else encountered a supposedly twenty something Romance Scammer going by the name Sumaira Saleem Masih from Toba Tek Singh, Punjab, Pakistan? Classic scammer case. She found an older (60) American guy on Facebook, moved him quickly off FB and onto WhatsApp to avoid detection, sent cheap gifts to build trust and then turned the tables by pulling on his heart to donate money for orphans. Thousands of dollars were wired Western Union to her personally and not the orphanage. Then he was conned out of thousands more for all sorts of things like education, family emergencies, yada yada yada. She directed him to use gift cards (replenishable) and send electronics, etc.. Of course all the while saying they are "soulmates" and professing love and intent to marry. He foolishly fell for all of it for years and lost nearly twenty thousand dollars. She is a highly skilled manipulator. Romance scamming is probably her full-time job and likely to have a number of victims.
1dortheroad
June 10, 2021
I've been.scammed a.few times. Only got took for $100. Figured I got off cheap. One was an oil rig. Talked on whatsapp. Another was someone in Texas. Nothing stood out as fake until.a did a photo look up Picture turned out to be some French chef or designer. So not the guy in TX. Another one was a Dr that wrote long texts as he was over seas and in a different time zone. He was such a narcissist Checked his photo. The guy was a dr..a German Dr that was not on Facebook. I warned the real guy. Finally a contract out of Boston. Had 1 daughter. Told me his bank card got stolen. And money removed fro.his account. His account was frozen and didn't have any money to eat...I mean who has only enough in the house for one Day? Plus no.family anywhere to help. I suggested driving food to his place. He got the $100 Noticed alot have a first name like last name .like James William...
Misspiggy77
June 30, 2021

In reply to by 1dortheroad

Hello, Your story of the guy from Boston is very alike the one is contacting me… he goes by the name of Ray Steve and contact in WhatsApp via +1 (505) 226-4847. First we didn’t have money enough to pay the rent, got fired in the meantime, then the card and bank account frozen, finally he got a job offer but had to pay money to get the job. He’s suuuper cute, piercing in the nose and eagle tattoo in the chest-shoulder-arm region. Does this ring a bell to you? I need help to know if he’s real
DeniseS
June 10, 2021
I am being wooed by William Liam who lives in London and has a 19 year old son, Collins He says his wife died 10 years ago. He flew to Dubai yesterday (showed me his flight details) . He says his father was Swedish snd mother English, he studied in Canada but his accent sounds as if he comes from somewhere in the Far East, as he called me yesterday morning. I am enjoying his compliments but can’t believe his love claims. Yes roses, songs etc . It’s a shame we can’t post photos here but I came across him on Jewish Seniors . He’s very attractive with short mostly grey hair and beard . Sounds like as many have described. +44 7405 809031 This is his phone number. He is presently in Dubai as a consultant engineer after winning a 3.5million bid (oil rig / platform).
Stupidgirl
July 08, 2021

In reply to by DeniseS

Denise S.. this sounds too familiar if you have any pictures of this guy can you email it to me. I met this guy on Our Time dating site...email is buckeye2480@gmail.com. thank you so much,. Catherine
DeptyDog
June 10, 2021
I’m talking to a guy Valentine Alfred. 59. Born in Lund, Sweden. Father was Swedish and was killed two years ago. Mother is British. No kids. Wife died in car crash around 2013. He is marketing mgr for LG Electronics. Handsome. Salt/pepper hair. Blueish eyes. Very much a sweet talker and wants to be married. Sound familiar to anyone??