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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
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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.

my husband is …
September 23, 2019
Anybody talking to a Rebecca Steven in Ghana? My husband has been talking to her for 3 months and has sent a couple of hundred $, but now she is asking for $1000 for her plane ticket and another $1000 for police & medical reports to get out of the country.
Sadder but wiser
September 23, 2019
Said he was the CEO of Empoint Construction INC, can't even find the company on the internet. When I googled it, this website came up. He said his wife had died from cancer and wanted to email and said he lived in Daytona Beach. When I googled the email address he gave me it belonged to an 83 year old married man in Fort Worth, TX.
tEK
September 25, 2019
Has anyone heard of a military man by the name of Kim Jong? My friend has already sent over $20,000 so that she could have a few hundred thousand wires to her (he said he was buying her a house, for her to pick it out. She did and even put a contract on it, but then he was “sent into war” and could get the money to her”.
mica
September 25, 2019
same thing. michael sanders a uk pilot, robbed in malaysia, needs 6000usd for his documents, said that he will send me 55,000 dollars on my account. he asked me to email jp morgan bank .. then asked my details including id. his ig name is mic_sanders pls beware
John Doe Las Vegas
September 25, 2019
A couple of weeks ago there was a scam on the dating site pof that I fell for. The girls name is “ari” and lives in Las Vegas NV. She claims to be 20 but once she sends pictures she then says she’s 15. An angry “dad” will call and request money instead of turning you in to the police. I have contacted the FBI and they are trying to nail this guy. Please don’t fall for any on these scams. They are terrifying and cause so much anxiety.
Kc2
September 25, 2019
Im pretty sure this guy is doing the same to me NOW!!! SAYS HE IS A NURSE IN Taken working for the UN on contract been there 2yrs. Says he us from CA and has a daughter in boarding school in FL saud his wife passed away. I had a feeling its a scam so I asked to face time he did and pic matched what he looked like. He keeps trying to get me to sign uo for hangouts but I won't. Sound about the same guy?
Matijawojlau
September 26, 2019
I deeply suspect this one is a scammer, he had a profile on Plenty of Fish. Name is Marc Jason Johnson. The story is he lives in New York. Has two phone numbers one is Minnesota, and the other New York. Said his wife died in Georgia, and he moved to New York. On a lookup of hisxaddress,. Shows no one of his name ever lived there. Says he's a contractor working in London on a Shell company contract. He got a visa. In three days from Shell??? How is he still texting from the UK on a USA phone? Hasn't asked for money, but I'm expecting that soon. Of which I will turn him down for. On the phone he sounds middle eastern, I smell a scam. His profile pic on POF is missing. No brainer there. Keeps mentioning money he will be getting, but I just figure he will have some sad story soon.
Don't use your…
September 26, 2019
My friend is working in Scotland and has his money in an account in Florida. He says he cannot access his funds from a foreign server and needs me to move money from his account in Florida to an account in Scotland. Is it illegal for me to do this?
FTC Staff
September 27, 2019

In reply to by Don't use your…

Some scammers use people to help them transfer stolen money. They don't say the money is stolen - they tell a story to conceal the reason for the transfer.

If you do a transaction for a scammer, your name will be on the  money transfer forms. If you cooperate with someone you really don't know and get involved with a scam, you could get into legal trouble.

If the scammer asks you to use your existing bank account, or open a new account as part of the money-transfer scam, you could lose money and personal information.

Menarevictimstoo
October 01, 2019

In reply to by FTC Staff

I already reported it. He’s still texting and offering to send me some money I never asked. I haven’t been able to block him cause I am scared of the fact I sent him photos of my face. What should I do?
Please read this
September 26, 2019
Those of you discussing exchanging pictures to see if it is the same person: it won't help you or resolve anything. The picture they are giving you is NOT them. So it doesn't matter if it is the same photo! These scammers tend to work in groups and they share photos to use on their victims, etc. You are all receiving photos of some other secondary victim, that has had their identity stolen to be used by these scammers. You have to start off immediately assuming everything they have told you up to this point is a LIE (including photos). Their "job" is scamming innocent people out of money, period. They are very good at figuring out what makes you tick, and then manipulating you at every turn. So many people have been scammed! Many people never tell anyone. Some (like me) only admit it anonymously, and even then it is to try to stop someone else from being had. It's too embarrassing to admit how foolish our part in all this has been....and consequently the scammers keep continuing. I STRONGLY urge you to take the advice the FTC has offered throughout this thread. Report it right away, to everyone they have recommended reporting to. Stop communication with your scammer. If it helps imagine them sitting in a computer room somewhere with a couple of other guys all laughing over your texts and chats and salivating over the amount of money they are about to get out of you. Fight back! Report! It will be much easier to live with once you take back your power. Don't sit in silence like I did. Too embarrassed to admit it. REPORT THEM!
downandout
October 05, 2019

In reply to by Please read this

I agree with and appreciate all of the advice you are giving and if it prevents one more person from being scammed, it is all good. I was recently scammed (all of the stories I have read here sound just like mine) and have lost $391,000, most of my life's savings. I have reported it to the FBI (IC3 form), local police dept, and my state's attorney general. I have not gotten any help except from a local police detective who isn't very helpful and appears to have given up. I feel very alone and like I am to blame. I believe that myself but also know that my scammer is a professional at that. Where else do I turn? I have read about various operations that have captured some of these people. How do I get my case on one of those? Thanks
Littlegirllost lol
September 26, 2019
Contractor in gulf claimed his worker damaged s part that cost $25,000 and he has to pay for it. Said injured man was airlifted to land for $3000 which he had to pay too. Hasn't come right out and asked for $15,000 but had hinted. He said his insurance was only for big problems. He is a legit contractor with a license. We have been talking for 3 weeks. Says name is Derrick Mason
Rivergirl49
October 04, 2019

In reply to by Littlegirllost lol

I have been talking to the same guy for 5 weeks. Same name..same story exactly. Do you have a pic? I have lots if you want to share.
Kells72
September 26, 2019
Anyone know of a fred_lucas7000 from Instagram. His account is established for a few years. Has a slight German accent, I'm scared that he's not really who he claims to be...
Anonymous
September 27, 2019
A orphapedic surgeon claiming he works in Syria for the UN. He’s a 39 year old widower named Sebastine. His parents died in a car crash, his wife died while giving birth to his child. He has a son named Tyler, attending boarding school in London. Watch, this man is a scammer, originally a Nigerian man. Don’t be fooled, he is on the Mutual dating app, he claims he’s half Chinese and Half British. He desperately confess his love and feelings very early. He can’t do video call as apparently it due to secrecy in the location he works. This is his number which he has been messaging on, the play form he’s using is Viber, as a device to scam people on. +447588773965
Billion
August 27, 2021

In reply to by Anonymous

Sounds extremely familiar, except he lives in Houston Tx and has a daughter. But yes, he's parents also died when he was very young, along with his wife 2yrs ago while giving birth... He now goes by ALFRED_GLUTTS or KENDRICK BOLDS
Kells72
September 27, 2019
Has anyone been in contact with a fred_lucas7000 from Instagram? He seems way to good to be true, but his account has been established for a while now. I'm afraid that I am being taken advantage of...
Please read this
September 27, 2019

In reply to by Kells72

Has Fred asked you to divulge personal info? (social security number, date of birth, address, banking info, credit card info) Has he asked you to send him money? gift cards? phones? Has he asked you to open an account in your name and give him the info? If you have given this "man" anything at all then yes, I would say you have reason to believe he is a scammer and you are being used. Easiest way to find out? Stop giving him anything and see how long he sticks around. Also....I wouldn't be too hung up on what name he is using. Each scammer can have many, many fake profiles with multiple user names. Your "Fred" is someone else's "Jason", etc. It's all fake.
Uhmynameisblank
October 17, 2019
Do you think I'm getting scammed ? Met this girl 10 years older than me. We exchanged email. After a day she confessed her love to me. She also sent me lewd pictures which I find really odd. I'm not to sure about it though cause I talked to her on the phone. What do you guys think ? I'm 60/40 on this
rose
October 04, 2019
anyone ever heard of Dr. Jerome Schultz that is from South Africa but now lives in the USA He is currently working in Somalia Getting data for a book he is writing about bone structure claims he is a Orthopedist He is widow and says his wife and daughter died in an auto crash. He will show photos of the crash. his email is jerome244ag and phone number 781-361-9061
Jmcdo
September 27, 2019
Words with friends is a new scam platform. Every time I play I get a "friendly" hello. They are always a widower raising a child, from the United States but living abroad, and always work for an oil rig. It seems that the script is the same no matter what platform. They aren't very smart. I just want to play the word game!
wawanda
October 10, 2019

In reply to by Jmcdo

I get them all the time. I don’t even respond to their attempts at conversations and then they disappear. They must block me because they just vanish.
Very gullible
September 27, 2019
Instagram is a hotbed launch for scammers. As smart as I thought I was. I am also not as skeptical as I normally am. I can’t explain why I responded to a private message. It was the beginning of an emotional odyssey. Off shore oil drilling engineer named Gerhard Paul who said he wws born in Hamburg Germany and lived all his life in was Ft Worth TX Just leaving on a two month contract on his oil rig. Divorced and wife cheated. Moved the conversation to Hangouts and started the seduction. I spent the first few weeks staying in friendship mode as slowly he was able to win me over with charm and sweetness. After a month he asked men to access his bank account since his server was giving him issues and he needed to buy a new generators. Gave me credentials to login and wire $1.M to a Chinese manufacturing firm. About a week later he asked me to login again to wire funds for installer to arrive to set the equipment up properly. That is when his account was blocked and the panic ensued and the promptings and begging for money. Very persuasive. Also had a security box held at a company in the UK closing and urgent need to have funds to have a diplomat deliver the box with life savings to the US. These people are professional cons and know how to manipulate emotions and remove doubt that they are real despite suspicions. The photos were not found to be a problem on Google reverse image but I did finally find another site called Yandex where after two months I discovered the real person. I was devastated. You will feel like you are living a dream with a romantic wonderful man...it’s a lie. Don’t fall for any of the stories.
cris
September 27, 2019
anyone here knows Dave Forster? from words with friends 2 and On facebook...
Eurasian2000
October 01, 2019
This idiot is Paulax Andre. website is .pof. com After one day he pressured me to get him a gift card n take a pic n send the image to him. Username is NY sergioh.
Sadness
September 29, 2019
Do you know a gentleman call Wills ufot, been speaking to a very good friend for a short time, meet on a game, then want to talk on hangout, I saw some of the messages, wife died in child birth, working on an oil rig of Mexico, daughter looked after by a nanny, very compassionate, but then she had a message stating he needed money to buy documentation for work or could result in loss of job, luckily for my friend she doesn't have any money to spare, money is very tight, so she could not help even if she wanted to, glad she confided in me, as I help her delete app.
Lynne
September 30, 2019
I've been talking to a Guy Dwight Anthony Raymond- says hes divorced with 2 kids- working in Turkey on a drilling ship- has a big contract worth $4m but suddenly the drill has broken and he has been begging me to send 21000 euros to his dealer who is getting the drill. I have continually refused and then he gets nasty. Unfortunately I sent him some photos but not with my face in them. Hes threatening to contact my friends to tell them "exactly what I'm like" I've called his bluff and hes not done anything yet- but I am preparing to block him once and for all. Why do we do this- he seemed very plauseable but shocked when I told him id looked up stuff on drilling ships. Do you think he will do anything else.
Lynne
October 07, 2019

In reply to by Lynne

Just an update- ever since I said no to sending money he has become more abusive and been threatening me. I have reported and blocked him on 3 platforms and threatened him with the police. Its very un-nerving.
Senior 70
September 30, 2019
To little girl lost, lol. I read your comment, what does this Derrick Mason look like? I too was scammed and my scammer used that $3000 figure for his contract money, he had to take a chopper to Australia. He also used a $15000 plus for a so call operation, brain surgery ; yes he fell at the Australia airport on his way to see me , now he's in a hosp. In Australia. It's sad that these scums take advantage of us. He constantly kept asking for money and romanced another woman same time romancing me right to becoming engaged. If course he used another name but used the same mo's , I tunes, small amts of money, good cook, raised by uncle , oh and dropped I phone. I called him on it when he wanted my info to send me his so call money parcel, and blocked him. I'm determined to find him . I'm in a fixed income, it's sad. Not getting involved with no one else , dealing with emotional scars .
Amy
October 14, 2019

In reply to by Senior 70

I have a picture of the Derrick Mason I think is scamming me. Do you have one to compare?
Christy123
October 04, 2020

In reply to by Amy

I have a picture if you want to compare of a derrick mason im sure is scamming my mother in law.
Curious
October 01, 2019
Does anyone has chat on Instagram with a men Collins hann he has a profile photo as an airplane pilot and has other photos of him on aircraft and airport has 2 photos with a little girl He says hes a single men looking for a good women to marry his wife died in a car accident when his daugher was 3 . I started chatting with him he has very sweet conversation . One week after we started chatting he will say he loves wants to marry me calls me his queen . I though it was very strange he will write in broken englis . i started to pay attention got suspicious the person that i was chatting was not same person from photos 2 weeks after he called me through hangouts app when i answer right away i knew he was a scammer . Had a strong heavy african accent like Nigeria or Somalia. I asked him to see him on cam he say his phone will not allow told me he was flying to meet me in Canada he want a plain ticket . I reported him on Instagram . Hopefully this account will be deleted and no more victims
Searching for truth
October 01, 2019
Beware of a man posting as Jay Ian Anderson who is a mechanical engineer working with Shell California and is currently living on a rig off the coast of Turkey. His wife died 2 years ago and has a 13 years old son who is in boarding school. He requested thousands of dollars be sent to the United Nations leave department so that he can get leave to visit his son and to also spend time with me. I have only communicated via text and WhatsApp never on live video. I fell for his sweet words of love and better tomorrows. Thankfully my bank made me aware of these frauds out there and I was able to stop any funds being transferred. Thank you for this site and for the opportunity to share my experience. Ladies please be aware of the sheep in wolf clothing.
L Frank
October 01, 2019
Hello I know my son is being scammed by this so called lady on Hangouts. He seems to think that he is going to marry his her. Her name is Precious Burrel. She or he been scamming money from my son. Just don't know what to do.
used&abused
October 01, 2019
“Met” a man on PoF who scammed me out of a few grand. After a week, fed me another story about owing money to an equipment rental company. He, of course, wants me to send him more. I have not sent him anything and will not. He says he’s 52. Goes by the name of Wilson Ryan Hall. profile pic was of a handsome white haired gentleman. Apparently born in the US and then moved to the U.K. but moved back to the US about 7 years ago. States he’s an independent contractor for gas and energy companies but is currently on a contract with Husky Energy and was on an oil rig off the coast of Canada. He claims to have 2 children (son and daughter), an ex wife who cheated on him with her coworker, and an adopted brother who is a humanitarian. All pics he’s sent me do not come up in any reverse image searches. States he owns a company called ShoreDrill, which is a fake site. I’ve since blocked him.
Love struck an…
October 02, 2019
Adam zurn, Paul Adam zurn, Eric Adam terry or Paul he told me he was in the army in Afghanistan fighting and that his wife died from cancer oh and also has a son in boarding school he had me send him money for food said he was being positioned also wanted clothes etc told me he was coming home 4 times and each time he was in hospital or his friend had been blown up or the camp he was staying at had a grenade blown up so all soldier's needed to rebuild it. It's now October and still nothing even though he's still in contact I'm a bloody fool and so is everyone else who falls for it please please please leave it alone they wind you in like a fish tell you what you want to hear then will disappear when the game is up and have done all they can or got out of you all they can it's sick and the police should do something about it
Flazio
October 02, 2019
Has anyone been scammed by someone named David Anderson? Says he’s from Wilson North Carolina. Is in a different country to he can only text. Looks in mid 60s and has a private Facebook saying widowed. Profile picture of him and a German Shepard.
Hatescammers
October 03, 2019
They will also say that they are mailing you cash and jewellery and then you will get a call from Malaysia to make payment for insurance via moneygram and then it will be refunded to you by bank draft.
River
October 03, 2019
Have you run into a Derrick Mason?
Tdonnelly
October 04, 2019
I started playing this scrabble game on my phone and have been overwhelmed with messages from guys . I am very sceptical of one guy he says his a surgeon in the American armed forces and is currently in Syria. But went I searched fb its the same photo of him but says his a business man self employed. He hasn't asked me for money. What else can I do to see if he is real
Madamx@1944
October 04, 2019
For the past three months i have been in a relationship with a Brigadier General in Syra , Glenn Goddard (Andrew) so in love wants to marry me when he gets home , Has put in his retirement papers and assigned a Diplomat to send his personal belongings to me for safe keeping until he arrives to retrieve them, The day of arrival the Syrian air port conficated the portfolio , Now needing $50 thousand dollars to get released , Cash money through the mail to the diplomat , When I said I did not have that kind of money , Now it is $25 thousand and the other out of the portfolio when I receive it , They would be holding the diplomats car until he returns with the rest. , Now he is pressuring me for an answer ,On Hangouts.
Stevie
October 04, 2019
I received a random FB request from a GRAY MOORE in the UK. I questioned this and he said he was looking for a friend with the same name. Some general chit chat ensued but I became wary when he made comments like I was beautiful as it just felt wrong. He then asked me to go on hangouts which I dont have but he was persistent in asking me to download it He told me he worked for a fishing company and couldn't use FB at work ( but could use hangouts . Oh yeah right!!) . I was very suspicious by now and am a wary and cautious person so i told him i was at work . He was relentless telling me to get the app etc and messages were non stop despite me not answering them ( I didn't like that anyway- too needy) I decided to do my own detective work and reversed imaged him and shock horror there are tons of him. All under different names. I then googled and found this so I have told him where to go in no uncertain terms and why. Ladies please be careful and check these things out as I know many have lost money and fearful of their privacy and dignity. It took three hours from the first message to the abrupt end so do it early please ladies and gents , it's your hard earned cash they eventually want . And yes its reported to the police Stay safe people xxx
Lost everything
October 04, 2019
I lost everything . My house, my daughter , my husband that I was with for 23 years. Plus every single penny I had because of a scammer. We just were talking , then he said he loved me . He had sweep me off my feet. With in a period of 18 months he had taken $ 250,000.00 thousand dollars from my. He used every sad story u can think of. My child is in the hospital, it’s her birthday, Christmas . So to every woman out there. As soon as they ask u to get them a gift card, like Amazon, google play RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN . THEN BLOCK HIM. They know every trick there is to fake you out. They even know how to make a video chat that makes you think you are really are talking to the man in a picture he sent you. Now I am penniless, almost homeless & in very high debt with all my credit cards. All because of this mans smooth talking & believing all his lies. I was so stupid to have bought everything he told me.
Empathize
October 08, 2019

In reply to by Lost everything

I'm so sorry that happened to you. I lost a great deal too. Can't believe I fell for it. "Thomas" was charming and everything i dreamed about. Hope karma gets these guys.
I HATE scammer…
October 08, 2019

In reply to by Lost everything

I am so sorry to hear that! I think he was trying to spirit you away from your marriage and then get you so deep in over your head that it was hard to tell reality from fantasy - and he succeeded, that ratbag! My scammer tried to spirit me away from my marriage. I never believed his endearments, but I did buy into his sob story at first and thought I was doing a charitable thing by helping him out to stay in touch with daughter. Now we have both learnt our lesson, at great cost. I hope you’ll be okay soon.
Senior 70
October 09, 2019
Re. Derricks Mason, Attn To River, Oct 3rd , I responded to little girl lost, Sept 30th about what does this Derrick Mason look like , can River or Little Girl lost, describe his clothing ,hair color etc. Do you know there is a FBI site 1C3 to file a complaint . ere is
smellymoomoo
October 05, 2019
Anyone heard of Michael Richly? Hes supposedly on oil contractor who is widowed with 3 children. Has not asked for money yet.....and its been several months.
Lynne
October 07, 2019

In reply to by smellymoomoo

he will- mark my words, hell be sweet talking you for information about you that he can use.
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