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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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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.

Dogma
March 10, 2019
I'll make this short and sweet Everybody's Talkin about man this man that well the women are doing it too I already have an army story from supposedly a girl but yet I can't get a live picture of her or a video but I know I'm being scammed so I have three right now that I'm playing games with but yes women are just as vicious and our doing the same b******* let me drop some names Jenny Williams works at a saloon supposedly Nancy Randa supposedly a student in Portland Oregon and then there is a Cor r i n a p i n e l supposedly in the army in Hawaii let me know if anybody has heard of these people just post it
adam sucks
March 11, 2019
I currently got a message a couple of days ago from someone on instagram, suspected it is a scam, i say it is the 3rd person that had contacted with a similar story of being a single dad in the military, child is being looked after by a nanny. i am going to keep talking to him to see where it goes.. so far he says he has completely fallen in love with me. LOL. this is definitely a scam.
Sidney Hertzberg
March 11, 2019
The scammer got nothing from me except a call yo my son in law who is a detective in New Jersey. there station gets people who complain about pch that scmmers say there from och.
akhenaton
March 11, 2019
I was scammed by a very handsome-looking man going by the name of Tito Armstrong. Lost my husband over three years ago and I fell right into the trap of feeling wanted and needed again. I am so humiliated. He supposedly owned his own Elevator Technical Services company, but of course, when I called, they don't know him. He also lied about being an alumni of UT Austin, where I got my master's. I feel so stupid. No one in my family knows and they don't understand why I'm so stressed about money. I am out $10k. I can't believe these people can sleep at night doing what they do. He even knew that I have a form of Leukemia and he still pressed me for more money. The minute he realized I wasn't going to give him anymore, he and his "lawyer" stopped calling me. I feel so stupid. It's a very tough lesson to learn and my heart goes out to everyone who has shared their story. I only wish there was a way to catch these people, but they are so slick! Sigh.
Lovelylady
March 12, 2019
Same thing was just recently happened to me,i met this guy on a dating site then he asked me my facebook account then we chatted there for a months.He said he was a CEO of his company(art gallery)and went to a military school.He sent me sweet messages then recently he went to Cypress for another project, he asked me for an assistant because he needed money for his food and bills and he will pay me back once he get his mid salary but i refuse to do it, then he get mad and threatened me that i if i won't do it he will tell the US army to track me down and arrest me and put me to jail for 25 years.
Bae Magnolia.
March 12, 2019
My scammer was so different. He is not using the oil rig or the military stories but intellectually on the Investment arena where big financial issues are involved. He has a Calif registered phone number but based in Columbia, Maryland. As the story goes, he went to London for some business negotiation but was short-lived due to the sudden death of his mother in Greece. After all the formalities of his mother's funeral in Greece went back to London to continue unfinished business only to find out that his bosses had not given his fare share of that project he was supposed to have shared with. Now he resigned from that job and wants to put up a company for himself but requires a lot of money and requires him an opening deposit of enormous value. He said he needs 100,000, dollars and hinted that his money was not enough. He didn't asked from me but I straight away told him I cannot help him. Boom he disappeared so quickly just like the speed he used to say I am his queen, I am his love, he wants to marry me and so on...So scammers are going smarter now, high profiled that we think their intentions are true.. Be safe out there...
scammers
March 12, 2019
Does anyone on here know of a Frank Cattely, Franky Harris, Frank Harris. He is also a scammer. Said his wife and son got killed in a car accident. His sons wife couldn't take the lost so she turned to drugs and has a grandson that lives in Texas with the grandparents. If you ever here this name he is a SCAMMER for sure
Jedg
March 12, 2019
I was scammed by lady called Aruba jasmine she asked me to send her couple hundreds bucks then just blocked me on all her socials peeved off but my own fault
E_GIRLS_COOL
March 13, 2019
WOW !!!!!!!!!!!
TerryB
March 13, 2019
PLEASE CHECK OUT THIS SO CALLED OIL RIG ENGINEER IN THE GULF OF MEXICO!!!! HE SAID HIS NAME IS....ALEX HUNGBRUNG AND HE PLAYS GAMES ON WORDS WITH FRIENDS. SUCH A LIAR
Sassy12B
April 18, 2019

In reply to by TerryB

GULF OF MEXICO OIL RIG ENGINEER by the name of TIMOTHY CARROLL??? sound familiar to anyone. He gave me his license (photo of license) and sounded legit for so many days & weeks. then started in on how he needed money to pay the "offshore department" for his leave and that once they had the money it would be returned to me, within 72 hours as i was named his beneficiary...HERE is where it gets crazy--he paid my credit card bill! when the payment cleared he asked me to use that money to pay the offshore department for his leave. He then said he would pay that new debt off, and he was headed straight to me in the PNW. When i didn't answer him and do as he said "he" called me however the guy on the phone was not him, when "tim" and I spoke through google hangouts later he said it was his supervisor who called and was pretending to be him, cause he can't use his phone-which he broke about 3-4 weeks into our talking. I am leaving out a bunch of stuff but this is the high points. DOES ANYONE experienced this?? Any information will help me relax, I have not sent him any money or purchased Iphone, I-tunes or wired money. I want to make sure my gut and brain are on track!
Infinitelyme365
September 20, 2019

In reply to by TerryB

Someone I know has been talking to a Alex Hungbrung from Words with Friends... Same story. From Texas, Widowed, works on an oil rig. Got hurt... needs money to pay workers and fly home to “see her and get married” Bank account “frozen” and just needs money to unlock bank account to send her all this money. Promised her they’ll get a house together... “Has a son in boarding schoool” mom died in childbirth and needs a mother figure... sent pictures to her, and calls and texts her ALLL the time.
Secret
March 22, 2019
Has anyone ever seen theses email address Robertquirk 2402@ gmail. com Collinsfrank 206 @ gmail. com I just need answers
Beechmom1227
March 13, 2019
Has anyone heard of Matthew Heidiman47? Originally from California but stranded in Nigeria due to construction! Very good looking, dark hair, beard, very fit! Family died in car accident.
Germantina
May 19, 2019

In reply to by Beechmom1227

I habe contact with a man in Instagram 01andresherman. Maybe you can look at this pictures. Originally from Gernany, Liveshow in California and is on construction in Nigeria. Fsther died in car accident, wife died. 13 year old daughter.
marquitj
March 14, 2019
Hello has anybody been in contact with a David wright or a David yepes????
wifegettingscammed
March 16, 2019

In reply to by marquitj

What's his story? Claim to be doing a job in the UK?
Retired
October 01, 2019

In reply to by marquitj

I have known a David Wright for two months. Sounds suspicious to me already. Asked for money, I said no. He then lectured me about not being a nice person and not having a heart
Kerry dhl
March 14, 2019
Hello I was wondering if people have had messages from someone on hangouts called Emmanuel he targets vulnerable elderly ladies claims he loves them builds up a relationship. He gets them to send him parcels via DHL to Ghana and Nigeria mostly jewellery gifts. He claims to be in the army also goes by the names mr Hickman. I work for DHL and have a lady who is completely in love with this guy I'm trying to make her realise that's it's a complete scam. He has been messaging her through another name of leon he lies and says her boyfriend Emmanuel is in trouble this poor lady has sent alot of money in bank checks to him. But via an address in Bristol under a womans name called Linda if any of this rings any bells can people please reply I'm so worried about this lady the police wont help unless she admits and helps them investigate thank you
Jenni
October 13, 2020

In reply to by Kerry dhl

I recently received messeges from a man named Leon who claims he works for the CIA. Most certain he does not.
Indu
March 15, 2019
Have you encountered a man on tinder whose name is Anderson Jesse, widower, has an 18 yo daughter in boarding school?? He said he is an orthopedic surgeon in UK and currently in Libya sent by UN?? He calls and messages me in viber and promises me a lot of money that is why I am very doubtful. I just met him a week ago and he said that he really trusts me with his money. It’s too good to be true right????
Belle belle
March 15, 2019
Hi by any chance did anybody encounter scam from samuel chang on coffee meets bagel? He sounds sincere but said his parents died in accident 15yrs ago and he’s running health equipment business! Said he’s travelling to turkey next week to source renovation material for client, i got suspicious because how would health equipment relate to renovations? He’s half American half Singaporean. But look very chinese and pictures showed he decked out in all branded wear!
Jillyn
March 15, 2019
Got the same scam saying he's a captain offshore with a son in Houston sick, wife died giving birth, should fly to his son, can't get his check cashed so needs my assistance. On Instagram with name jimmywr9660
CJ
March 15, 2019
Watch out for MartinsMorgan
Old Lady
March 15, 2019
Been talking to guy from POF said he was 58 real age 46 IAM 64 says is name is James from Bosco,La. Knows all the right words. Said he is soldier in Afghanistan. Wants me to buy and send him a phone. I no IAM being scammed he his very muscular like body builder has sent me several pictures of him. He right away wanted to talk on Google Hangout .his email is goodmaadam1010 a Gmail .com if anyone else has had contact with him let me no
TBLRLPCH
March 16, 2019
I'm really terrified for my elderly mother who has been taken in by someone on Instagram using the id patrickrobbins1122. His profile picture is actually an actor named Benjamin King. We cannot seem to get her to understand this man is a scam artist. Please post if anyone has any information about this person.
Too smart for that
March 16, 2019
I wish I would have read this blog months ago. Despite how smart I think I am, I fell hard for a new friend from Words with Friends. (I usually don’t converse, but there was something sweet and innocent about him and I truly thought he was legit). I even spoke with him on the phone, and looked up what a Norwegian accent should sound like. Thank goodness I started talking about my feelings to an adult child who is probably more aware of romance scams. She made me promise that I would never send cash to him sight unseen. And when the request came, I was devastated but prepared. Same old story. Oil rig engineer. No family. Darling and very convincing. At one point, I had to explain what a “Nigerian prince” was to him because he acted so innocent and oblivious. Definitely well scripted. Real men could learn a lot about how to woo women from following this script. Ask about her children daily. Tell her that you love to cook. Come up with a pet name for her like “sunshine.” Talk about dreams, likes, dislikes, and send her love songs that imply that you are “perfect” for each other. Cater your script to her age and place in life. Share a picture of you and your dog. Although no cash was exchanged, I still feel stupid for sharing photos of me and my children, as well as my real address, phone number, and email. I was called by “my number” the past 3 days claiming to be AT&T wanting personal information as there was suspicious activity on my line and I was about to be locked out of my phone. Reported that to AT&T and that was confirmed a scam. Oh boy. They are good. It’s time to learn from the experience, share the details, and never repeat it. My “Sam Rosenbauer” was “perfect” in my dreams. Mourned the dream and moving on.
Littleluvvy
March 16, 2019
Anybody heard of Adrian Christian Berg ? Met him through Tinder, disappeared very quickly but wants to chat through email. His email is a gmail account. He is an oil rig worker and this is his last job before he retires. He will be home from SA in 3 weeks and wants to meet. He has a property in the UK which he is returning to in a tiny little village half an hour drive from me where my best friend actually lives. This village is tiny and you couldn't make this up plus he gave me this information first. He is German and wife died 3 years ago blah blah, he has a son studying in Munich age 26. I've searched for him on social media and all I can find is LinkedIn account with no pictures but it says he works for the company which he signs off his emails with. He has now w asked me to downloads ICQ or IQC messenger says he doesn't do WhatsApp because of security.....any thoughts anyone ?
Rockchick
July 02, 2019

In reply to by Littleluvvy

Hi he has sent me messages on Tinder. Wants me to download icq easier to chat then email. When I asked questions he seems to elude the direct answers and seems to skim over them. Comes across as well educated too. I always go with my gut instincts and glad I have. SeemEd too good to be true,... so glad I've not gave him too much information. Cheers
Angel
June 14, 2020

In reply to by Littleluvvy

Adrian C Berg has resurfaced in AZ on Our Time. We went on email because it would be easier. He was going on a job to London and he'd be back in two weeks. He says he's an oil and gas project manager. I tried to research him. His phone and email came up blank. I found him on Facebook but entries were in German or Polish. I couldn't verify anything. He emailed lots of romantic,'poetic nonsense. When he asked me to buy a Visa gift card I was done.
Cowboy100
March 16, 2019
Just got a guy called from Afghanistan, wanted me to take possession of gold he was given by a sultan, I also sent him iTunes cards. Thank god a friend told me of a friend of hers same idea, different story. His buddy was killed by roadside bomber
Indu
March 17, 2019
+447459624948 This is the number of a man I met on Tinder. I suspect that he uses a virtual number and his information cannot be found. He uses viber in pc. He is really suspicious because his spelling is so bad for his claim that he is a medical doctor
Sterling
March 17, 2019
Man name Dave Johnson, Powerball winner wants to give people money. NY. Picture matches but ?? Hard to believe he would give random strangers money. Anyone heard of this?
to6697
March 17, 2019
Anybody been scammed by a Collins Jones. States he is Italian.
Tmn1975
March 17, 2019
I am talking to a guy right now that says he is working for the UN in Baghdad as an orthopedic surgeon. His name is John makarios. He's 60 born in San Diego on Aug 23, 1958. Has anyone else heard from himself
Puppylover
March 17, 2019
I have been talking to this guy now for almost a year, when we first started talking he said he believed that God sent him to talk to me, he said he lives in Florida, and thats where he was when we first started talking, then a few weeks later he was shipped to Afghanistan and that is still where he is, he said his facebook got hacked and that his photos are being used to scam women, and he said he has been reporting them, the reason I say this is because I have been seeing post that have supposedly been put up by him and when I confront him he gets upset, and then we have a heated discussion about it, and he tells me again it is not him, he has sent me a gift, and I sent him a gift which he took a pic of when he received it, and its the only pic I have that was not taken from his Facebook account as it was taken after he got hacked, and I just don’t know if he is the deal or not
Marelle
March 17, 2019
Last summer was approached on FB. Quickly, Mr. Scammer wanted to move to Google Hangouts. All of this is new to me. Had never heard of Google Hangouts. His FB page was suspicious to me. No friends listed. A few pics posted and all the comments were from Africans. My story is similar to so much of what has been written. I wish there was a place to post photos to see if this guy has been around for awhile. Frankly, I don't believe the picture is the guy. My guess, stolen pics. Claims to work on an oil rig. However, those I-Tune cards! I was clueless about the cards. O.K. , decided to help out a few times. It grew and grew. Right now it's over $3000. If course, dummy me had put a stop to it. You must know, this was a 'romance' scam. It actually grew over the months. I couldn't help myself, wanting the attention and kindness. And of course, it turned into other requests, specifically money. I have somewhat of a paper trail I am going to use against this guy. I will take it to the FBI site for Internet scams. Here it is March, 2019, and after all the red flags, I am just now going to report it. I'm embarrassed and ashamed that I fell for it. Here I was, the one always warning others about scams.
Valeriel
March 23, 2019

In reply to by Marelle

Your story sounds like mine, his name is "Jose Argueta", 10 years old daughter, a FB page with just few pictures but thumbs up from Nigerian people. I confronted him, he got upset but still wants to "work out" our "relationship" :))))
My Turn
March 17, 2019
Hey all. I’m the newest one. I didn’t give this person any money. The catch for me is this. She claimed to live the next town over and her area code was the same as mine. But the third day we talked she was on a plane to Turkey for some job and sh’d be there two weeks. For the n cut 3 days all of her texts were word for word off other scammer sites that I read. So before it got to her asking for money she asked me to send her an email. So I did. I copied the entire page of the scammer website pasted it in the body of the email with the subject ANY OF THIS SOUND FAMILIAR? Then blocked her email and phone number.
Jehova Nissi
March 18, 2019
Anyone know of a Elloit Reece Stefan...relocated to Scotland from Holland? Wife died of breast cancer & has a daughter..about 12 years old?
Wow
March 18, 2019
Wow im Sorry to hear this from all you. Gotta be careful on the internet they can do anything from trick you to hack you. Only send money if you know them in real life rather well. I thought this thing only happend to males , I’ve never fell for it but it is rather sickening to think they try it on you to. If you haven’t got a meet after a couple days / weeks of talking I would just assume it’s a troll and move on
ghan
March 18, 2019
Nigerian scammer peter davolee he takes false profile pictures changes his name very nice looking guy beware ask for i tune cards only got 200 from me second time he ask for cards i knew he was a scammer beware they tell you anything if they ever say dear, angel, darling, and sunshine you got a scammer
Ayneo
March 18, 2019
Does anyone have similar encounter? A guy added me on Instagram, claimed to be some engineer based in Houston, portrayed himself as American Chinese. Single, dad passed away, mum staying closed by but not together. Got a contract to work in Istanbul, some work site accident happened, need some money for new machine. Tried googled him online but nothing found.
Suzy
May 21, 2019

In reply to by Ayneo

This sounds very familiar, but he doesn't live in Houston, by any chance do you have a photo, or name? Ty
DTA
July 29, 2019

In reply to by Ayneo

I think I have chatted with this guy. It was back in August-September 2018. He posed as a soldier in the U.S. Army. He went by the name Scott Armstrong. I knew hecwas a scammer, but played along. He got so mad because I wouldn't send him money. He said he as Chinese and his father passed away and he wasn't close to his mother because she was mentally ill. He even went as far as to say he is American, but raised by his father's best friend and his family who is Chinese.
Topsy
March 18, 2019
Hi everyone, Just been chatting to a guy on POF but wanted to move quickly onto email and then Hangout! He calls himself Gabriel Jeff Weber aged 55 yrs old and a widower! States his parents are deceased and he is German but been living in NJ, USA although oddly states he was living in Hereford, UK for 2 years. States he is a Colonel with US army currently deployed on a peace-keeping mission to Syria...... I'd already got warning signs at the "move off POF" but I like to play them at their own game! This guy thinks I'm sending him an Apple iPhone , an Apple I watch , some cornflakes, coffee and cookies LOL!!!!!! I mind just send the cornflakes for a laugh........ of course they have to go through a third party - someone called John Vaa who apparently works as a diplomat for the UN and can get stuff to military bases all over the place from his office in West Africa!!!!! He is very charming and has a good command of the English language ........ I used TinFox?? to check his 3 photos he sent - he's a very good looking middle aged man - one is with another military guy in an aeroplane which someone else mentioned here - all 3 photos come back as fake scam info ......... so BEWARE!!!! He keeps mentioning his visits to Syrian orphanages and talks about the children a lot. It's all part of an elaborate plot to get me to part with my money although he hasn't directly asked for any actual cash or iTune cards etc etc. It he is desperately keen to know when his iPhone will arrive, allegedly "so he can talk to me" - no doubt to declare his undying love for me as I'm his Princess and his Queen and we will soon be married....... blah! Blah! Blah! I've already reported his profile to POF but wanted to alert others on here!
Ghan
March 18, 2019
Ok
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