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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.

Search Terms
bank account
fraud
military
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online dating
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Topics
Shopping and Donating
Scams
Romance Scams

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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.

Madmax
October 14, 2018
David Hills and Steven Lannister are two scammers on pof. Like really guys?? They need a real life. All the red flags were up.....I gave them the run around while I was still with my spouse. Lol! They were entertaining until they asked for money.....within two weeks of messaging. No surprise there.
Justme2
August 26, 2020

In reply to by Madmax

Madmax....by any chance is Steven's email lannsprojectltdswiss@ ? Something along those lines?? If so....where was his supposed location? The one that was messaging me said he was in Malaysia, working on a project for Petronas company. I didn't believe a word he said. And he told me that his son was in a boarding school in Boston.
mummys girl
October 14, 2018
My mum has been scammed by a carl breigner she's sent over £1200 to him,( Nigeria)same story's as above needed a beneficiary for his daughters, she met him on words with friends had him on Facebook (I reported the profile and it disappeared) also on hangouts mum won't believe he's a scammer worried shes gonna end up bankrupt as she's been getting cash out on credit cards she's also been talking to a Thomas attwood
patty
February 19, 2020

In reply to by mummys girl

Hi Mummy’s girl, tell your Mum that I have sent over 15,000.00 USD to this man! He is nothing but a scammer and a liar. He hurt me not only financially but broke my heart.
First/Last
October 14, 2018
You should be able to post the fake pictures on here so people can share them.
Silver Fox
October 14, 2018
I have been speaking with a guy, BOBBY NORMAN, that I met on Word with Friends, who quickly "fell in love with me" .. all the usual stuff .. says he is a sculptor, wife died, has a daughter being educated in Canada. Had a project that he had to take to Dubai, sent me a picture of him in the airplane, from there he went to Australia for a sculpting job. After about a month, all his tools and all the work he had done were stolen. He was homeless, moneyless etc. No, he didn't offer any money and I wouldn't have sent him any. He is still in Australia and recently said that he made a sculpture for me which he says he has shipped. The shipping allegedly cost $4,50.00 (must be a very heavy bird). Now the package is stuck in Panama at customs!!!! Guess how much is due .. $25,600.00. I'm laughing, but it's not funny. Anyone who is more gullible than I would just pay the money. NOT ME!! Oh, he is originally from Sweden .. maybe. Anyone out there have anything similar.
GB1030
October 31, 2018

In reply to by Silver Fox

This is known as a Package Scam. Victims pay into the scam, as fees, taxes, duties, etc. The Package does not exist.
Lanzif
October 15, 2018
Umm what happens if you keep the money after finding out its a scam???
concerned abou…
October 15, 2018
My mother is involved with a probable scammer on FB calling himself Christopher James. Claims to be an engineer from the us working overseas. Romantic I dont think he has asked for any money, she may have sent him some small gifts. He trying to convince my mother to bring herself and her child (my elementary aged sibling)he is ADAMANT about her bringing child along. I am very very worried! My mother is not stupid but she is depressed and very very lonely and vulnerable Help, any information?!
GB1030
October 31, 2018

In reply to by concerned abou…

A Scammer will learn about their victims through chatting. Then they exploit them with that information. The Scammer will take advantage of her Depressive state.
Cavegirl
July 24, 2019

In reply to by GB1030

Do you have a picture of this Christopher James, because one with the same name tried to scam me
SpanishLady100
November 16, 2019

In reply to by Cavegirl

Names He Has Used: Christopher James Richard Bullock And a few others. My Neighbor has fallen for his lies. Says he’s deployed in Dubaii, traveling from France to Illinois, on 4 occasions but never showed up. Fake tickets and fake passports. Nice looking picture sent of him and his Sons. Says their mother passed away and that the boys travel with him, as he’s on a Government Mission. He asks neighbor for Amazon Gift Cards and she has sent him Cash Says he wants to marry her. She just keeps talking to him. Pathetic.
Joy
October 16, 2018
Does anyone know a Robert Smith
Tlb1254
October 16, 2018
Wow Unbelivable! There is so many scams out there..There are other ways to meet people..In person on dating sites..These people on the internet ARE NOT REAL....I dont bother with them..I had a man doing that to me for a ling time..I told him i dont have any money..I didnt hear from him for months..Now he us back again trying to be friends with me..I think some of these people are from africa mexico Etc DONT BELIEVE IN THESE PEOPLE..THEH ARE NOT YOUR REAL FRIENDS ..
Ri Ri
October 16, 2018
I think I'm being scammed by a guy who says he is an electrical engineer and lives in delta state Nigeria he says his name is Ufuoma or Japhet
Sounds like a scam
October 16, 2018
A guy named james wilson started trying to talk to me on words 2. Thought he just needed someone to talk to. He quickly asked me to chat on hangouts. Then the story starts wife died 5 years ago. He's raising 2 kids one 14 and one 17. He's an oil rig engineer. I have a feeling I'm chatting to 2 different people. English gets bad. He says he needs 50 I tunes card to up date his bank account software! Does this sound familiar to anyone I have photos.
Notdumb
October 22, 2018

In reply to by Sounds like a scam

Yes!!!!! Very familiar. Last night he asked for me to purchase 2 Itunes cards at Walmart for $100 each. I acted dumb asking questions like why, give me your credit card number, etc. Anyways, oil rig engineer, lives in NY, but in Florida right now working. Handsome guy on his profile i.d., on Words, then he insisted I download hangouts, and then emails, and on and on. He loves me, so much, never met anyone like me! Very interesting, at times I thought I was talking to different people too. At the end, he was angry and his English went sour! All his love letters, etc. were very well written, however, I thought at time they were "templates" from prior letters. I thought when he asked me for money, then I know for sure its a scam. He finally did after 2 months of love letters, and saying he would never ever hurt me. He called me last night an begged I not laugh at his Norweigen accent. He scared me when I said hello, I couldn't understand him and my heart sank. Don't send any money, just say you are poor, he'll move on I hope. His name was Thomas A. he said he was 59 with one son. I told myself when he asks for money, it's a scam. I'm sad but intact.
GB1030
October 31, 2018

In reply to by Sounds like a scam

Scammers do work together, to make more convenicing story. So you may be chatting with two different scammer working together to deceive you.
Deelboy
September 12, 2019

In reply to by Sounds like a scam

The iTunes top-up card is an old scam and all so Amazon
Rosie
October 16, 2018
I was cheated by a man named James Daniel from Washington, engineer working on a rig in Australia. Widower, one 14 year old kid, chat every morning and night for 6 months. Exactly like the same modus operandi of the ones people have been telling here. Take care of this guy.
so fed up
October 17, 2018
is anybody dealing with a guy called Burrows Hernandez Todd, mech. engineer, at the moment stationed in Syria as a Sergeant? Apparently has one daughter with a nanny back in US and is trying to ship raw gold bars to US and needs money to cover the costs and has no access at the moment to his bank account nor enough in the base.. thank you for your answer and help..
GB1030
October 31, 2018

In reply to by so fed up

This is known as Package Scam. There is NO gold bars. A person will contact you claiming fees, taxes, duties were not paid. They will ask you to pay for it. The PACKAGE does not exist. Walk away.
Star
October 17, 2018
Anyone know of a person "Friending" ladies on Facebook or other sites..Donald Arsenault, widowed, Italian but raised by Grandmother, 12 year old daughter, Cassie being raised by a house mother? Possible scammer asking for money to finish his contract as a West Coast off shore oil rig Contractor?
lookingforinfo
October 18, 2018
RAYMOND ERIN. CANADA. WIDOW. 3 CHILDREN. UNDERWATER WELDER. ON WWF. ANY INFO PLEASE.
GB1030
October 31, 2018

In reply to by lookingforinfo

Scammers often use, widow, single parent, kids in boarding school. If he ask for money, yup Scammer.
Cathy
January 03, 2019

In reply to by lookingforinfo

Yes.Got to know him a month ago. Offering assistances on finance end up with my investment $100 He said he would add it to $2000. Sound like scammer, though!
Concerned son
October 18, 2018
My dad passed away little over a year ago and since then my mom 59 hasnt been the same....until she met someone. She seems to be in love with this person. I love to see her happy but i find this man very suspicious. She hasnt met him and she says he is stationed at some base (military i guess) and isnt allowed to leave. Meanwhile hes making promises to buy my mom a house car and promising to moving here with my mom. I dont know much more about him because my mom doesnt tell alot worried me n brothers & sisters are mad at her for moving on.but recently she sent me this picture of him and what looks to be his name on photo.i am worried to death about her can someone give me some tips into finding out if this picture is the person he says he is. She was married to my dad for 42 yrs so shes new to the dating stuff which leaves her vulnerable to scam. Help........how do i upload pic so you can see if youve seen it b4. The name on photo is Anton Ivan
Jean
October 21, 2018

In reply to by Concerned son

Your dear mum has already been taken in. They are a group of conmen, not just one, and they steal normal people's pictures, to perpetrate their false identity and fabricated story. She has likely already wired him money, and may be getting talked into cashing out your dad's retirement, and selling house. Show her the FCC complaint form in this site! Talk to her, that these crooks use brainwashing techniques, and she is naive, not stupid. Please act assertively for your mum!
dutchgirl
January 03, 2019

In reply to by Concerned son

scammer.. military are Always alloud out of base
Lynn2018
October 18, 2018
Ive been having same problem been talking to a guy last few weeks says hes stationed in turkey from the states. Kept asking for a stream card telling me he loved me and wasent talking anyone else. come find out he was talking to another woman about sending him the card and left all his messages on facebook messenger back and forth with her. i left a comment to her about him been chatting with me about the card also and he seen it and threatended to have me killed.
Nightmare48
October 19, 2018
I believe I may be getting scammed and it has been going on for over a year. The name I know him by is Stephen Wesley an orthopedic surgeon who's wife died in childbirth with their son Jackson. Similar story as to what I have read Jack needs money but Stephen can't access his money. But when I needed money I was given it so it made me think they were legit. The son had me sending money for him and his friends so they could invest in something in Nigeria. I never put money into it but had to send it for him. No big red flags went off for me until just this last week when he demanded I send $600 to his son because he supposedly gave his dad a payment for the house he was buying for us and he had to have it back now and couldn't wait until December they his dad would be home finally! So I went back and double check the stuff I looked up before and it was all gone, everything that I had used to prove to myself that he was legit was just gone and I did a reverse pic search and came up with 6 different names he goes by. He of course claims that it is the hacker that stole his pics!! Yeah right!!
ndr
October 19, 2018
Anyone have any contact with a PATRICK MORRIS
Badoo
October 22, 2018
I have a question, I am currently texting with someone by the name of Logan Jenkins Smith, and he is stationed in" South Korea", when I asked him about calling or skyping, he said if I could send an email to departmentofdefenceus 1940@ gmail and ask for him to be allowed to call me? I am sure it is fake , but there is always the glimmer of hope! Has not asked for anything else yet.
FTC Staff
October 22, 2018

In reply to by Badoo

Email from a legitimate US government agency will end in .gov. Email from a military branch will end in .mil.

If you send email and give your personal information, someone can use it for identity theft.

GB1030
October 31, 2018

In reply to by Badoo

BADOO this person is a scammer. Military dose not use Gmail.
Lev
October 19, 2018
One actually fell in love with me and showed me his real photos and we met and we're actually together
Hardwood 1234
October 19, 2018
Does anyone know or talked to a Dr Anderson Rex Cooper in Iraq
Hardwood 1234
October 19, 2018
I have been talking to a dr anderson rex cooper from iraq with a daughter named tracey pictures like Luka Giratti am i being scammed
noscammercouldfoolme
October 19, 2018
Hi Guys! I was contacted by a guy on OkCupid named "George Lucas Harrison" (Phone no.: +81345404968). Said he's a software engineer who is assigned in Samsung Japan and also owns a truck rental in Florida being run by his mom named "Amanda Betty Harrison" (Phone no. (+14076308805). After a few days of talking said he deleted his dating app profile to focus on me. After a day or two, told me he will come to the Philippines to attend a worship leader conference in Cebu City and is planning to see me after. On the day that he was supposed to come, came the problems. He called early morning to say he lost his wallet, blah blah blah. Bottomline, he needs money so that he could still change his flight details without having to leave his passport as a collateral with the airlines who will be nice enough to help adjust his flight details. His mom even joined him in sending me messages about all those stuffs that don't add up. I did not and will not send any money to someone I do not know. When he figured that out, he stopped messaging. So do not ne fooled, people. Bad people would use even the name of God just to scam innocent people.
YouCantFoolMe
October 20, 2018
ALL of these men have either lost their wives to a tragic death or the wife cheated on them. the kids are either at boarding school or with a nanny. They all fall in love right away hoping that we will do the same. I will ask questions like what time is it where you're at and when they reply I Google to see the time and most of them tell the wrong time so right then I know they're lying. If you look at some of their service uniforms they have different names on the patches or they try to Black them out so you cannot read them. I don't trust anyone anymore when it comes to online. and if any of you have money you just need to throw away let me know I have a daughter that im trying to put through college.
Don't use your…
October 20, 2018
A man said he had a box of money in Pakistan wants me to pay $4,900 back fees for sending it, was $900.00 I wouldn’t send the money now it’s $4, 900.00 said I go to prison for money laundering,, if I didn’t send the money, please I think he’s a scammer, I need help, has this happened to anyone else. I’m am an older lady, lost my husband, I am frightened to death
GB1030
October 31, 2018

In reply to by Don't use your…

Hello, this is known as a PACKAGE SCAM. The package dose not exit, there is NO money. Walk away, let him go to prison.
Don't use your…
October 20, 2018
I have a question. I filed a complaint with the 1C3 FBI site, now I was scammed for $3000, paper trail, I sent a ck to his sect. I even have the Sect.'s address, went to her house, I even have her bank acct #. This was 2 months ago, with such inform . How long does it take for something to happened. I could use this money back. I stopped talking to him realizing his cash cow dried up, yes constantly asking for different denominations of money . Thank you I had passed all this inform along. I can't believe this happened to me .
FTC Staff
October 26, 2018

In reply to by Don't use your…

The information on the IC3 website explains what happens after you file a complaint. It says that people at the IC3 look at complaints and send them to the appropriate enforcement agencies for criminal, civil, or administrative action, as appropriate.

The IC3 itself does not investigate your complaint. The agency that gets your complaint from the IC3 can decide whether or not to investigate and prosecute your complaint. If a law enforcement agency starts an investigation, someone will contact you.

Stampndiva
October 21, 2018
I’ve been “engaged/dating” a Daves Anderson! Knew exactly what I needed and wanted to hear. Sent him iTunes and Amazon cards! Had me set up new checking accounts because he wanted me to buy a house for us! Luckily the bank shut it down when he tried to deposit! He however managed to have a check sent to me which I cashed and wired to him! It made sense to me at the time. I’m so stupid because the check bounced and now I’m in trouble for fraud! I’m scared to death as I’m unemployed and only get spousal support right now! I don’t have $1500 to pay it back! I don’t know what to do! I took my laptop and jewelry to a pawnshop to get him money! Now I’m going to lose all of my life which was on the laptop!!! He showed me pictures of his mom and son. Is a Staff Sargent but according to the military record he gave me he should be a higher ranking officer. Went to the recruiting office and his name is no where in the system. Doesn’t exist!!! 100% fake! He’s still trying to get me to send him money! Wondering that because he is still active with me if the FBI can track him down and get my money back! I almost sold my car for him! Very, very convincing !!!!! Has tons of selfie pictures! Now he’s saying he was on his way home to be with me when his phone and passport were stolen! Kano, Nigeria airport!! Says he’s dying of malnutrition! I may be gullible but I know you cannot live in any airport for almost 2 months and survive for more than 2 weeks without food! He still insists he’s army and has no way to contact them! I was told to get his unit # and I could contact a Base and they would send somebody. He couldn’t give me his unit # and the unit # he gave me in the beginning was discontinued during WW2! All lies! He even had scammers posing as friends wire me money and I would wire it back to him! So much! I gave him my heart! I sold possessions! He was so good and convincing! It wasn’t until he was stuck in the airport that I started digging! 2 months no food? 2 months living in an airport? Can’t happen! Found his pictures under several names but always uses Anderson! Daves, James, Williams are a few I’ve found on the dating sites! Somebody has to help us! The army has to either not allow dating to happen or provide us with a way to verify these slime balls stealing our good soldiers identities!!!
Fooledtoo
June 18, 2019

In reply to by Stampndiva

I had the same thing happen to me, he said he was in the military and name is Daniel Park. He sent money to my account and it even cleared do i sent him. Then the funds were found to be fraudulent so I have to pay the bank back. I feel so stupid and know how you feel.
He loves and w…
October 21, 2018
David George Aberto an Engineer working in Canada went to Turkey on business and needed my money. Guess, Turkey is the new hotspot for scammers. This guy worked on me for 2 and a half months and then hit me up for 40k, 10k, 1k and back up to 7k. He got zero. He sent me flowers. Has a TX DL too.
nicetry
October 22, 2018
I was contacted through instagram by a John Anderson, who asked me to go straight to hangouts to chat. The name on that app was Alfred Keith and was allegedly a single dad after his wife died giving birth to their second son. He is german born, lives in USA but currently in Turkey on business. Three weeks later son has had an accident with a motor of some sort and needs $5000 transferred to a Dr Bright as his credit card wont work in Turkey and will pay me back. Told him to send me the hospital account, but strangly enough Dr Bright wants to be paid into his private account in Spain. How gullible do they think we are !!! He wanted to marry me and send me a car for my birthday lol !!!!
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