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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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Shopping and Donating
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blt
June 03, 2021

In reply to by Dlmp

Are you still talking to this guy? Have y’all ever met yet ? I am talking to one and we are meeting next week Been talking 4 months
checkin it out…
June 06, 2021

In reply to by Dlmp

They all seem to do that..still waiting to nail mine...so glad I found this site..a little late! I'll play he like he did me!!!Smh!!!
Ella
March 30, 2021
This guy contacted me recently, but I feel this could be a scam. He did not ask me for money yet, but almost sure something will come soon. He goes by the name Michael Danny Glover. Working offshore.
Confused't use…
March 30, 2021
If anyone has had contact with a Fredrick Wilson Graham, Femi Akintunde stay well clear scammers. Fredrick claims to be an engineer. Has all the charm but all lies
Stacj
March 30, 2021
Mine is named Gabriel Stones is originally from AZ but moved to L.A. when his wife died. 15 year old son Max. Keeps wanting my information so he cam send me money. I know he's completely fake, feel bad for the person whose pictures he stole. Talking on hangouts app. Also, son Max has been emailing me asking to call me mom. Smh....incredible what people will stoop too.
checkin it out…
June 06, 2021

In reply to by Stacj

Hey Stacj..what does this guy look like?Gray hair blue eyes claims to be Italian says hes a production engineer? Never answers direct questions about himself never gives house address or name of rig he was on, wont show passport, hes stuck over in the UK..son went to boarding school over there..wont tell the name of boarding school either...so secretive..did talk to him 2 times very broken English..no video chat either..I'm still talking to him..says hes gonna come see me.. been talking 9 months now, sad part is he stole my heart..cant seem to let go!!
Cattur74
March 30, 2021
Cattur74 i been asked the Samethings other ppl have been asked I tried to research this person but can’t find anything out he has never asked for me to open up a bank acct all he has asked was a steambcsee or Bitcoin he tells me he’s a general surgeon an orthopedic dr working under contract an he as told me he loved me but I’m not to sure about all this an he to us From Los Angeles California need help finding out if he is real or not
iZombieMom
March 31, 2021
Has anyone had any dealings with an Ingram Smith? Says he's in Afghanistan, lives in Texas, both parents have passed, so doesn't have anyone to turn to since his Apple account got wiped. (Whatever!) I know he's a scammer and has been contacting my friend on Hangouts. My friend claims that he's on to him since he started asking for gift cards, etc. and asked him to keep it their little secret; but I'm not so sure that he's not falling for it.
Heart 1
April 01, 2021
any one been contacted by a Gary Berline. I get pictures everyday but he says he is 8n the Arm every thing I have read has pointed ti scam... I refused to send money and he still talking t I me and tells me how much he cares. But down to the T. I guess I am getting scammed.. man some people suck.
Worried4someone
April 01, 2021
Im scared for my father. I believe that this is happening to him. Ive tried to tell him but he gets upset about it every time. He just wont hear it. They have made plans to meet but something always comes up. He is sending the person money. And not the is some thing where they are saying that they will post pictures online if he dont send money. I pleaded with him not to do anything.. If someone has any advice or tips on how i can help him please comment. Thanks for your time
whateverbena2
October 27, 2021

In reply to by Worried4someone

tell him to get on this site and read the stories he will see they just want money and claim all kinds of things put kids into there story and dead family or children tell him to delete everything of of where ever hes chats with them. go to catfish if he has a pic and do a image search all you need is one thats how i found out George Williams is a scammer they lie tell you what you want to hear and get you to fall too i found out the way they communicate and never wanted to video or talk on phone just thru chats and emails.dont buy into it.check it out with just one pic....good luck hope he finds out soon.takecare
Dental123
April 01, 2021
Anyone in contact with a DOMINIC ARNOLD OR CHARLES MATTHEW? I’ve been chatting with both of them for a few weeks. I’m pretty sure they are trying to scam me. I’m not going to send them any money. I’m just trying to figure out how to mess with them. Dominic is a widow and has a son who is 8. He says he needs me to send money so he can get a new phone. His is broken. He even sent me a pathetic picture of a broken phone in his hand. Probably fake. Matthew says he’s a body builder and model. Both send me sweet messages and profess their love for me. RIGHT!!!!! After messaging for a week, they say they love me. OK! I want to report them, but I don’t know if the authorities will do anything to stop these scammers.
CELETINEHORKEY
April 03, 2021
IM SCAMMED and my scammer has reviled his real self and identity every thing i send him thing through the united states postal and he receives them i have his photo id copy i do voters id i have his EVERYTHING please help i am hurt i discovered this please can i get help
Dee
April 03, 2021
Chatting with this guy,says he is a neurosurgeon w/ the United Nations over in Berlin, but also a very well known rhinoplasty surgeon out of turkey. States he is widowed,has a son, his papers have expired needs to get back to the states to his son who has been with the nanny. Has tried to get money from me. I have looked him up, he is like a ghost, but he is using the pictures of the dr in turkey. He is not a UN doctor, he does not even appear on that list.
Dee
April 03, 2021
He goes by the name of Adrian Williams, also had an account on LinkedIn but has deleted it since.
Asiangirl
April 04, 2021
Im thankful I found this site. I was about to be scammed by a guy named Robert Erickson, project manager for oil and gas company. He added me on Linkedin, messaged me everyday until I fall for his trick of talking to Hangouts. In just 3 months of talking he told me that he love me. He has 3 children named Trisha, Christian and Zara. He even sent a picture of him and his kids. He's 47, blue eyes, greyish hair on the sides. He told me hes from Boston. He call me her queen, love and Babe. He suddenly got a project in Thailand and now on a Rig. He let me open his bank account bec he doesnt have a reception on his location, asked me to pay materials for the installations then for supplies of his kids. Now he needed to the shipment of the materials but when I tried to open the bank account I cant get go through.. He said that the bank closed his account bec of safety measures, and now he needed money for the shipment. Asking me $8,000 dollars first but when I cant do the transfer it became $3,000. I've checked all the invoices from the supplier to be sure and I cannot find the companies in google. He's now using bitcoin for faster transactions. Pls. Be ware of this guy.
Don’t trust
October 26, 2021

In reply to by Asiangirl

I would like to see if this is the same Robert we are dealing with.
A32
April 05, 2021
I been talking to a man from facebook says he is into oil and drilling, says his name is Wang Fulin..I tried looking him up and can't find anything. He ask me for a 200 Amazon card which I sent and asking for 5,000 because his drill broke and he need new one...claim his wife died in an accident and he have a 7 year old son ....he says he is in love with me and will die for me.. says he wants to buy us a house so we can be happy ...have any of you talked to someone like this
Anthony
April 05, 2021
Romance scam that used the popular app Words With Friends, then immediately asked to communicate via Google Hangouts. Advised she was a Los Angeles doctor traveling to Syria for a 2 week Humanitarian comtract. Upon “arrival” in Syria, advised she had zero email access (but could still send messages on Google Hangouts), and gave username and password to assist with a wire transfer to $500k in medical equipment. I signed into account with a bank site with several misspelled words and no legitimate info or clickable links (capitalfirstonline.en), and poof, the transfer went through to the shipping company. A week later the delivery is “stuck in Turkish Customs due to a miscalculated shipping fee”, and suddenly the bank website says her account is locked. Meanwhile I’m watching all of this play out as a scam, and she begins to reach out every hour to ask if I can pay a $15,000 Euro fee to help her. I finally send her to the link to this feed to inform her that I know this is officially a scam, and that I’m reporting it.
Rachel
April 06, 2021
I’ve even had men hitting me up on gaming sites like scrabble and other word games. Telling me about how they had lost their wife in an accident . So just be careful that has happened more then twice to me .
Cara
April 06, 2021
Ladies, I've read a lots of commets. How many of you got your money back? FBI? Cyber police? Bank police?
Grace
April 06, 2021
Im chatting with someone named DANIEL GRAHAM, an Engr. from Romania who has a project in China. He is very goodlooking and religious. Made me believe that he'd marry me. Wants me to help him with his project and pay for the initial $10k to buy materials. But i later found out that he is a scammer who also uses the name Daniel Colhen. Until now im just playing dumb as if i dont know anything. He is still trying to get me to send money to him. Now he says he needs operation for a major heart surgery but cant even show an xray. Lol. He's coming up with a lot of funny things to get money from me coz he knows im into construction too. Has anyone encountered the guy? Calls me his wife by the way. Lol!
Nissiotiko
April 22, 2021

In reply to by Grace

Same he is a building contractor Contract in Cyprus Problems with the a customer certificate than he had to pay a lawyer Than he was in the hospital.. I paid it all His name is Marsh NATHAN Met him on Tinder after one day hang out and su Whatsapp. I am his wife queen honey sweetheart 60 years old swedish has a swedish telephone number Malmö and su whatsapp USA phone number seems from Waterbury Connecticut Widowed with a son of 17 years old Civil Engineering phone number from USA +1 se
Kingdom Kid
April 07, 2021
Hi how can one find pics of a scammer. Mechanical engineer for a Oil company on a six month contract in Netherlands, Name is Federico Ramon from Puerto Rico
Barbi1960
April 07, 2021
I'm talking to a guy named"Joel Tiller" who says he a petrochemical engineer working offshore in Athens and says he's from Orlando. Skyped and he looks like his pictures. Beard salt & pepper hair. Stocky and is 57 yrs old. Wife cheated with best friend and divorced for 5 years. Has a siamese cat names Molly. Anyone talked to him? He's even sent a picture that he couldn't have stolen. Still leary.
mistmi
April 10, 2021

In reply to by Barbi1960

dealing with something similar. he has video chatted me and it was him and he was on a rig in the ocean. he uses telegram and google duo to video chat me. has not asked for money
Chris56
July 26, 2021

In reply to by Barbi1960

Hi this is similar to my story. Can we share pictures? How can we do this here?
Chinook12
April 07, 2021
has anyone had contact with Honza Lubos Franklin who is a scammer
LostNothing
April 08, 2021
Wow. So many people have gone through experiencing these scammers. I just ended my texting with a scammer a week ago. It was by accident that I met this guy. I was on MeWe because a friend said she'd joined. I joined back in November, but only visited a couple of times until February 22, when I accepted new friend requests that came out of nowhere. Guess MeWe was working on algorithms and upping their members. Anyway, I deleted most of the requests (37 altogether), except a few. John Mills was one of them. I didn't realize that that site also was a dating site. I'm in the midst of a divorce and had zero interest or thoughts about dating then. But for some reason I decided to answer a few of the men who were requesting to be "friends". Anyway, "John" and texted for about five or six weeks. He's supposedly from L.A., California, but is supposedly from Sweden, an engineer, who recently got a contract for a construction job in Malaysia. The whole time I talked to him, I was googling info on his pictures and stuff about Malaysia and contractors, etc. I googled the documents he texted me pictures of, as well as his passport, he showed me early on when I asked if those pics of him were really him. But all those documents and passports were fakes. Thankfully, I never gave him money. Seeing that I'm an author, I'm writing a fictional story on online romance scammers, and these comments are great for my research. Please don't ever give money to guys you're dating, especially online!
Lightning35
April 08, 2021
If anyone has information on a James Neville or a Robert Colin, I'd be interested to hear it. My sister has been talking with both of these dudes - one of them for over a year. I've been suspicious from the beginning. Then there was Phillip whose oil rig was attacked by Somali Pirates. Oh yeah, as in ARGHH!!!
Meddy
April 08, 2021
Anyone has received the story of a widower US soldier? Benjamin Gasper, he needs to leave the army x retirement?
Racc
June 05, 2021

In reply to by Meddy

Yes, for me it was a guy named Will Abrams, claimed to be a widower, wife died 4 or 5 trs ago, no children, no family in Georgia, claims to be a general in the USA military service in Iraq, has applied for retirement because he wants to live with me and have a new life, his photos un Facebook shows him wearing the military uniform.
ann
April 09, 2021
Has anyone encountered a Robert James or James fredrick
Fell for it
April 09, 2021
"Samuel Mandes won't give up! He is now using the name "Nicholas Gutta". He continues to find ways to harass and threaten me, even as I continue to block and report him! 2 years of this. Stay far, far away from him!
Lotus
April 09, 2021
Has anyone come across a guy from Nigeria whose name is Stanley Idos? His name on his Facebook profile is Idos Stanley. I talked to an expert on fraud and she said he is a scammer. His profile is legitimate but the person who is using it is not. He is trying to make me buy him a phone and send gift cards.
Lotus
April 17, 2021

In reply to by Lotus

Keep away from him. It will be difficult to get rid of him. If you get a friend request from him, do yourself a favour and block him straight away
Don't use your…
April 09, 2021
hi im from southern ireland i was scammed by a person claiming too be a woman called lori baxter from north dakota usa she or he or it blocked my fb messenger page yesterday gmt she aske d me for 400us dollars and a smart phone plus money for food for her 12 yr old daughter she said they would come to me in ireland lol i m glad too escape let me tell you lol
Honeyn't use y…
April 09, 2021
I want to find out if this guy is for real or not his name is Gary Hilton thats what he claim is his name i met him online dating wr have been txting since july 2020 up to now he claims he lives in moreno California for yrs an has a son in the military in Aug 2020 he said he had to live for a big project he had to go work in an oil rig in malayia he sound very nice and tell me alot of sweet words a woman wants to hear so to tell you the truth i fell in love but i think am being scam unfortunately i did srnd him money he ask me for some iTune cards so he could use the phone to call me an he does call and txt everyday but i stop sending him anymore coz i saw your add he says he is divorce also claims that there was an explosion on the rig an that he is stranded an needs money to pay a lawyer so he can get him out of there coz the company wont let hom go i do have pictures of him i just to find out about this guy do i can get him out if my if he is scaming me i know soon or later all this evil people will get their reward from God !!
Scam shady
April 09, 2021
I think my ex husband is getting scammed by a young lady ( if’s it’s a lady) name Fathima. She say she lives in Durban. She is 35 never been married and lives with her father Ibrahim. They are pretty well off and they have ties with many ppl that work in the embassy. They are telling him that they can get her a passport and visa quickly and he has sent the money. He really doesn’t want to tell me the truth or give me too much more information but this is horrible.
ConcernedSon
April 09, 2021
My mom has been talking to man named Ben Anthony. Supposedly from NYC and an architect. He has been overseas (Turkey I believe) and due to covid cannot access his bank account. She has sent him money on Bitcoin over 6months ago and he has yet to pay her back. He asked again for money this week and she is preparing to send it. I have tried to talk to her without any help.
TAS
April 09, 2021
Has anyone come across maxwell Robinson??? I've took a image and looked into other sites nothing comes up , hes us military, wife died 2 years ago, 14 year daughter lives with nan!! Gorgeous!! 45 yrs personnel and captain
ConcernedSon
April 09, 2021
My mom has been talking to a man she met through LinkedIn. His name is Ben Anthony and he is supposed to be an architect in NYC. However, I can find nothing out about him. Nothing online. His initial conversation to my mom was he was looking for a friend who had the same last name as my mom. He quickly started telling her how beautiful she was and she quickly fell for him. She left her husband (my dad) of 40+ years. She has sent this guys money via Bitcoin (large amounts) and he has yet to pay her back. She sent the money because he was overseas and due to covid he couldn’t get to his account. That makes no sense to me. He continues to pursue her and she continues to send him money despite me telling her he sounds like a scammer. He has not paid her back a dime but continues to make promises of lavish gift (buying her a house). She is going to lose everything she has to this man. Has anyone heard of this name?
Don’t do i
April 12, 2021

In reply to by ConcernedSon

They change their names. Each scammer typically has a different name. You won’t be able to find any info on him. He may provide a fake passport but won’t be able to provide a drivers license
Celestine
June 26, 2021

In reply to by Don’t do i

How about a fake driver's license would that be possible too? Coz i read from someone here that one can give u fake passport and license too if u go to the police and verify it. Can one trace using the SSN?
Ndodd
April 09, 2021
There is a douglas james doing this scam hot muscles body a woman's dream unfortunately the writer is not the same person as the photo
Concerned
April 10, 2021
I have a friend who I believe is being scammed. She met the guy on Facebook. He is a lumberjack or owns this business. Very wealthy. Lives in Oregon and is working in Canada. Says he was born in Africa and moved to US as a child. Has an accent. Divorced- no kids Closed Facebook account- said he was hacked. Only wants to communicate by Google hangouts, text, phone or email. Doesn’t want her to share their relationship with friends or family.
Mental d
April 10, 2021
I've had two scammers come at me at the same time professing their love and I called them out on it and they blocked me a guy called Taylor Harrison and the other guy went by brian rogers
Ashley
April 11, 2021

In reply to by Mental d

I’m so scared that I got scammed. Reading a lot of your experiences here. I’m still in the middle of this whole supposed “relationship”. I met a guy named Noah Anderson on Tinder. He works for WHO, Irish by decent, wife died 6 years ago and parents car accident a year after that, 44, with salt and pepper hair and is now in South Africa. He has confessed his love for me in a matter of days and it’s been 7 mos. Text and speak daily - mostly in Hangouts. We had video called a few times but always had bad connection and he saying he is in a bad signal area. I checked his linked in and even has connections to other WHO people (just 15 connections) really. I was thinking of contacting them too but this might be an actual syndicate because they might all be connected. I started getting suspicious when he has told me to never listen to friends and family about our unconventional relationship and that he would love to meet my children when the time comes, earn their trust. Then he says he is working on a project which can help people there in Africa and sent him some money to donate in his mission. It is under the guise of helping others and that he is raised by his parents to be of help. He has proposed marriage and even sent me a ring and necklace (he got online for such cheap price). In some aspects, one can believe he is for real and he is quite religious too. Generally throughout the day we are both busy but he would always contact me and sounds like he is in a busy place. At night we would talk for hours and I even became his alarm clock in the morning. The second thing is that he cries a lot on the phone with me when he knows he can’t help people and he sees people suffer. He says absolutely the right things. Sends me love poems everyday where most he gets off from the net. We also send photos to one another obviously I sent more. I’m afraid because I’m in the middle of this and somehow I might be wrong. Exposing him here and in the end this might be real, too. I am virtually and unspeakably confused. The trigger today is when he told me he will be receiving an inheritance. He needed help to process the papers and some fees. Sent me a forwarded email from his so-called lawyer. I reviewed the email and realized there is something really wrong in the email if it’s coming from a lawyer. He says he met the lawyer once since he was his fathers lawyer. I asked him a few questions and he says he will verify it. Several hours passed he texted how I am and it’s as if nothing happened. I confronted him and told him my lawyer reviewed the email too and asked for all the documents including his legal docs. I told him my lawyer asked me everything to protect me from harm. He went crazy. Since this was already a few times of me blowing off on him around his commitment and questioning how he thinks of me in terms of his so-called “wife”- asking money here and there he questioned me back today. Dismissing me saying how can I question him and doubting his love for me knowing he just “forwarded” an email on this inheritance. Am I being scammed? Or am I going to lose what could possibly be love?
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