Not 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.
It is your choice whether to submit a comment. If you do, you must create a user name, or we will not post your comment. The Federal Trade Commission Act authorizes this information collection for purposes of managing online comments. Comments and user names are part of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) public records system, and user names also are part of the FTC’s computer user records system. We may routinely use these records as described in the FTC’s Privacy Act system notices. For more information on how the FTC handles information that we collect, please read our privacy policy.
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 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.
In reply to So are you still talking with by Poseylover3
In reply to Sounds similar to my John by Txgrl2008
In reply to Ladies, the pictures are by miss taken
In reply to So are you still talking with by Poseylover3
In reply to Look out for Akins Davis aka by openedmyeyes
In reply to Ok so another update... do by Janetlee64
In reply to Hi, how do this guy look? by Goldengirl
In reply to How can we share a picture of by Rosvita70
In reply to Is there anymore info on this by Bella5
In reply to Hi, how do this guy look? by Goldengirl
In reply to Ok so another update... do by Janetlee64
In reply to Hey, I read ur story & have a by Tired of wonde…
In reply to I have been scanned royalty by JanetLee64
In reply to Omg- I think I’m talking to by Llhoney
In reply to I'll do you all one better! by It's bad
In reply to Great info!!! by Cheri
In reply to I'll do you all one better! by It's bad
In reply to I'll do you all one better! by It's bad
In reply to I'll do you all one better! by It's bad
In reply to I had the same thing happened by Tes
In reply to Hi I think I'm probably in by Paula polarbear
In reply to I met felix on Bigo he is so by Marie33
In reply to I met felix on Bigo he is so by Marie33
In reply to I had the same thing happened by Tes
In reply to I'll do you all one better! by It's bad
In reply to Diannese I get that 100%. by Alex
In reply to My uy is calling himself Jack by Don't uDiannes…
In reply to I know how you feel. I have by sunshine
In reply to Did this man give you his by Hrob
In reply to Do you have a picture of him by Horse mom
In reply to I would like to know if you by Hatcherymom
In reply to He doesn’t have a son but a by Horse mom
In reply to Oh..almost similar story. by PoorMe
In reply to Oh..almost similar story. by PoorMe
In reply to Oh..almost similar story. by PoorMe
In reply to My sister has been scammed by Catch a scamme…
In reply to Can we please share pictures, by Atine
In reply to Did anyone hear of Paul by Hannah
In reply to Did anyone hear of Paul by Hannah
In reply to Can we please share pictures, by Atine
In reply to Oh..almost similar story. by PoorMe
In reply to He doesn’t have a son but a by Horse mom
In reply to I guess he tells you one by Knowledge is power
In reply to He doesn’t have a son but a by Horse mom
In reply to I believe I too know this by Bella D.
In reply to I think I'm talking to the by Betty Boop
In reply to What is his name, I have one by Christina
In reply to What is his name, I have one by Christina
In reply to I think I may be in this same by Confused
In reply to I was talking to a guy named by Tes
Pagination