Skip to main content

It’s Valentine’s Day and love is in the air. You may think you spend a lot on flowers or chocolate, but losing money in a romance scam would cost you even more. Last year, people reported losing $143 million to romance scams – a higher total than for any other type of scam reported to the FTC. And, according to a new FTC Data Spotlight, reports of romance scams are on the rise.

What do we mean by romance scams? We’re not talking about the person you thought was “the one” but ended up being a dud. We’re talking about people you meet online, who lavish you with attention … and then ask for money. Usually they want the money by wire transfer or gift card. They might claim they need it for a medical emergency or to come visit you. Then they take your money, but there’s no surgery and no trip.

Romance scammers are hard at work wooing people on dating apps and social media. They may lift photos to create an attractive profile or even steal the identity of a real person. Just like with real romances, it may take them some time to gain your trust, but the scammer’s payoff can be big. Last year, people reported a median loss of $2,600 from romance scams.

How can you avoid romance scams?

  • Never send money or gifts to a sweetheart you haven’t met in person.
  • Take it slowly. Ask questions and look for inconsistent answers. Check the person’s photo using your search engine’s “search by image” feature. If the same picture shows up with a different name, that’s a red flag.
  • Talk to someone about this new love interest. And pay attention if your friends or family are concerned.
  • If you suspect a romance scam, cut off contact right away. Then, report to the scam to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint. Notify the dating site where you met the scammer, too.

For more information, read Online Dating Scams or watch this video:

 

Search Terms
imposter
online dating
scam
Topics
Unwanted Calls, Emails, and Texts
Scams
Romance Scams

It is your choice whether to submit a comment. If you do, you must create a user name, or we will not post your comment. The Federal Trade Commission Act authorizes this information collection for purposes of managing online comments. Comments and user names are part of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) public records system, and user names also are part of the FTC’s computer user records system. We may routinely use these records as described in the FTC’s Privacy Act system notices. For more information on how the FTC handles information that we collect, please read our privacy policy.

The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.

  • We 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.

Rewired 2020
December 04, 2020
I have been contacted by several guys on Scrabble Go. Interestingly, they are almost all widows and work overseas. Many in the oil industry or military. What a joke. I just string them along a little and then block them.
ametrin.jaro@g…
December 13, 2020
Maybe 7 days I had a communication with surgeon 55years from california and helping in syria. Daugher perry 12 years and lost wife in cancer. Im from czech republik and thank god for intuition. I checked it out with Google. robbed many women of money. he was called stephens mark. you just wanted to write through the hangout.
Pinkstar
December 21, 2020
A so- called marine soldier reached out to me on Facebook. He’s super cute and he knows how to say all the right things to make a woman interested. Out of nowhere, a thought came into my mind to find his name on Facebook to see if he has another account ( which he said he doesn’t ) then a picture of him with different name came. I became suspicious and did a reverse image and boom!!!! His pics are all over the place as a legit scammer. He stole that navy’s photos including his daughter so he could fool women as a charming single dad looking for a life partner after his ex wife cheated on him while on deployment. Be careful and always do a reverse image search.
Turkish
August 03, 2021

In reply to by Pinkstar

Hi how do you do a reverse image check please. Coz I have met this guy Alex stefano from a dating app.really nice talker .but I still feel something fishy about him.he has a 11yrs old boy in boarding school. His wife died .he works on a platform rig .but I feel it is a scammer. But I need more proof to confront him .please
Maryt70
December 24, 2020
Frank Davies,telling me he loves me .lives in fl. Is in London right now. Older looking man salt and black hair beard and mustache. Lost his wife and daughter in an accident 7 yrs ago.
Luvsterriers
December 26, 2020
I was on fb dating and they matched me with a ortho surgeon in Yemen has a son in Canada in boarding school wife died delivering daughter he is very handsome name is Ramon Garth also same pictures on another ones page named Josiane- he says he is half white half Spain but hasn't asked for any money but has anyone run across this one also the pictures are of him in scrubs and then photos of a black dog and him and then one with a small brown dog.
Sandy
April 07, 2021

In reply to by Luvsterriers

Sounds similar to a guy who recently said my profile picture is beautiful. His son is in boarding school he's an orthopedic surgeon in Yemen scheduled to come back yo in about a month. but his wife died in a car accident. quite pushy about getting email address or phone number. Facebook photo of him holding a baby. Goes by Philip Andrew
pengge
December 27, 2020
I think my 52 yr old bff is being scammed. A young 35 yr old handsome oil rig engineer in Houston TX with a dying mother with cancer.
Tracy
December 29, 2020
My Mom is being scammed by a guy who claims to be a multi millionaire working on an oil rig. His name is George Bryan and Bryan George. He says he’s from overseas, widow has a son in a boarding school in England. Has told my Mom he needs her to go claim a lockbox at a bank that has millions of dollars and jewels in it. Says it’ll cost her $20,000. to claim the box... but he’ll send her the cash to claim it. She gave him her bank account information and he deposited a $3,000. check. The bank told my Mom 3 days later the check is fraudulent. He claimed he was scammed by the bank and is sooo sorry for Mom’s troubles. He said his account has been locked and needed money to pay his cell bill, and my Mom sent him Bitcoin. He has been talking to my Mom for 5 months and knows everything about our family! My mom is poor, lives in Section 8 studio apartment and lonely. This man calls her so many times a day and prays with her, showers her in compliments and love... promises he’s coming here to marry her. Sent her pic of the 16 million dollar estate in Fla he’s going to buy her... I mean it’s just NUTS how she believes him. I did a deep dive into Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat & Linkdin and found 18 different accounts he’s got! I showed her all of them and she said it’s not him- he said someone is pretending to be him! I don’t know what to do. I’m scared he’s going to come find me or my daughter and kidnap us! We DO have a lot of exposure-
pengge
December 30, 2020
Can someone please comment back, I need to know how to get pictures of these men before it's too late. My bff doesnt believe shes being scammed by a "pretend " oil rig contractor /engineer based offshore in Houston. He sent her a picture/video in green shirt exercising in a gym, picture with I think a German Shepherd dog. She sent him an iPhone and $ to fix something in the rig but thru his mentors name .Sounds familiar?
Netherlands
December 30, 2020
I have been emailing, texting, and talking to someone I met online on a Christian dating site. After a month, he has told me he loves me. He sent chocolates and roses. My concern about catfishers led me to confronting him, to which he said, "What do I have to do, send you a copy of my passport?" I replied, "That would be nice." I received what looks like a photocopy of a real passport from the Netherlands, which is where he said he was from. We still haven't met as now he is building a Covid-19 treatment center in London, UK. He says he wants me to pick him up at the airport when he returns in 3 weeks. He broke the first meeting date because he said he had to leave immediately for the London job. My concern is that I can't find anything about this guy on the internet. He claims he is a widower of five years and that he has a 20 year old daughter at school in Australia. Has anyone been scammed by someone named Todd Hollander?
Lucy
January 03, 2021
I just had one try to scam me today. He went by the name of James Becker...said he is an orthopedic surgeon at the UN in Kabul and has a son in military school in Miami. What kind of doctor from Miami types in broken English?
Sk
January 07, 2021
Guy on Words w Friends, orthopedic surgeon working in Somalia w military. Wife died in childbirth. He’s clearly not a native English speaker. Wants to go onto hangouts, says he doesn’t know how to attach a pic via email. BIG RED FLAG-he has already contacted me on Facebook, several months ago. He was in Syria then. Watch out!!
imconfused
January 13, 2021
Mine actually video chatted with me every day for hours for a whole year. Many inconsistencys like he didn't know his address. He could count money. He didn't know about money situations. Just found out 4 days ago he's a scammer. Met him on Facebook. He used a fake name I'm sure now.
Côté d’Azur
January 13, 2021
Mike John Bruno rings a bell? Orthopedic Surgeon in Yemen , with UN.
Lisa from Georgia
January 14, 2021
I have been talking to a person who says he is a Cardiologist working under the UN in San a Yemen..Dark hair ,grey in his beard..Calls his self David James..We have been talking for five months now.. He calls me by video ,I have seen him at work..He has a teenage daughter who goes to boarding school
Is this real?
January 20, 2021
Anyone had messages and been befriended by a Pedro Sanchez? Apparently from Poland but currently carrying out a project in Chile as a structural engineer? Get in touch!!
OMG
January 21, 2021
My friend's doctor is Nicolas Jeff, another orthopedic surgeon at UN, 53 years old, a widower with a 6-year-old son who died. He asked for his friendship on Facebook, he only has 3 photos. He claims to be from California of Dead Parents also from New Jersey. He has been talking with him and he asks for photos and he sends them to him, he has spoken on camera and he is the same as the photo, which can also be plagiarized. She played along until I told her about this page and she blocked everything. He always insists on Hangout. They must do something about this.
Jaded28
May 04, 2021

In reply to by OMG

That sounds REALLY similar to the one I've been talking to. Child and wife died during childbirth. He's supposedly in South Sudan working for the UN. Met him on Facebook Dating. Three pics on there. Insists on Google Hangouts or WhatsApp chatting. Definitely need to block this guy.
DanaC
January 25, 2021
I've been befriended by a Benjamin Orton on Facebook. Asked to install Hangouts. Anyways, the 2 pictures he forwarded me are of 2 attractive men who are not the same person. Mr. Orton "texts" in very broken English. He's supposedly a civilian surgeon from New Zealand on contract until April, 2021 working at a Yemeni military base. He's supposedly been divorced for 3 years with a son living in New Zealand with his nephew. A lot of similarities on this website.
Danny82
January 28, 2021
Ive been chatting with a doctor in the UK. States he needed a cell to unlock his bank account which was ceased due to large deposit. Next he states he needed money to pay for his license to be a doctor in usa. All seems fake anyone have similar experience?
Another victim
January 29, 2021
Has anybody on here been scammed by a Robert?
Judy
January 29, 2021
Met this guy on facebook, he started chatting with me first, went by the name of El-Tanim Adam on fb then we started talking on Hangout, changed his name 3 times but with me goes by the name Dr. John William posing as an Orthopedic Surgeon in Kabul, Afghanistan working with the UN but is always broke asking for Gift Cards plus my personal identity. Keeps telling me he is widower, has one child, speaks with a very heavy accent. Is he legitimate, I have a bad feeling about this.
Loving don’t do it
August 21, 2021

In reply to by Judy

Do I guess his name is Brandy John now, same scam screen been playing now he needs to come home to his 7 year old son. Now wants me to help with his application to get home. Well I think he’s going to wait along time my thing is how do they get these pics that looks like him in clothes and scrubs. Oh he got shot and had to get surgery. Lord help us single woman.
francine
January 30, 2021
Surgeon in Yemen. Bank account frozen. Child in boarding school in UK. Sends me poems and music videos. Laughs at my jokes.
Usman
February 02, 2021
I have been dealing with the same situation now but good thing is that I caught her, She told me a story that She is a Medical Surgeon, lived in USA, her parents are died and they were from Taiwan, she has no sibling, get divorced three years back and is now in Yemen on Mission. She wants to settle down with me and have loving family, once she asked me to send her a picture of my passport but I didn't send. Now I have asked her to send voice note calling my name and now she is not replying me. Do anyone has faced the same situation. I didn't block her yet.
Jo Jones
February 05, 2021
Beware Tony Terry on Facebook. He uses someone else's photographs. Says he is from New York but bought up in Germany - to explain his terrible English. Says he is a Surgeon working for the UN in Iraq. Compliments you like crazy but only wants your money honey.
Evangelia
February 09, 2021
There is one man doctor that works in iraq as a doctor..he’s divorced with a child..he didn’t ask me for money...only to send a mail to leave from there..is this ok?
mot
February 09, 2021
I have pics. Think I am being scammed. He goes by Andrey Johnson. His email is Andreytim820@gmail.com
Carla
February 13, 2021
Met a man on words with friends five weeks ago. Lived in San Francisco. UN Dr.. Had to fill a contract that ends in June. Had to go to Qatar. Now says they transferred him to Afghanistan. Has two adopted daughters, Meg and Sarah. Has package of his personal items that he wants me to accept delivery. Says there will be a fee to accept. Calls himself Henry Stewart. Says he grew up in Belgium and Poland. Parents divorced when he was very young. First wife died, five-year-old son died in a school accident. Second wife cheated with best friend, they adopted two girls while living in Ozark Missouri. Daughters are now 20 and 23. I have given nothing to this man, as I wouldn’t give money to any stranger. He claims to love me till his dying day. Caught him using another man’s picture. Traced that identity to a realtor in California. Sent me new picture and a video to prove that he was telling the truth this time. If this sounds familiar to anyone, please send message and I will return photos and chat logs.
bluesky
February 13, 2021
There is this guy claimed to be an orthopaedic surgeon working in Beirut refugee camp. He has signed 7 years contract with NATO. He is widowed with a son. He lost his father when little and his mother passed away just recent years ago. His mother used to apply for vacation certificate for him so he can go to see family but now there is no one can apply for him. He cannot use a phone and cannot access his account there due to security reason. Its a big scammer. This guy may appear from different social website and use different names. Of course fake pictures....
Destiny
February 14, 2021
Abdaalaaha Ahmed this name he goes why on Facebook on hang out he goes by David Anderson he just started contacting me about three weeks ago he was asking for money he was a doctor of the UN and he says he lives in Yemen I asked him to show me his doctors identification when he refuse he start to get really upset with me I was trying to scam you for $13,000 then it went to 4000 he told me to send it right away and I said I take steps slowly he tried every which way to scam me then he told me about bitcoins if I had any I said I have a few he said they would take payment in that too and I said to him I’m not willing to cash them in right now then he told me to send a letter to the UN doctors but that didn’t work now he’s took me off line but he still online he thinks that I don’t know so if you catch them it would be nice he said to me that he’s not relocating his staff to a different locationSo ladies out there watch out this guy goes by many names
Nevada gal
February 17, 2021
I have been friended on facebook by a lot of these guys. All of them are widowed or divorced with one son. They all claim to be from the U.S. I messaged one guy for awhile, he then asked me for $2000 so he could fly home from Afghanistan, (he claims to be a doctor there, I asked him what kind and he said a plastic surgeon), and his funds are frozen but he will repay me then he gets back here. I then texted him that he was just a liar & thief. I didn't get another message from him for awhile, now he has me mixed up with another woman and has started it all over again. He starts out asking for a $10 itunes card, (which of course I don't send), then progresses to $1000 to get out of there. Says the UN has frozen his bank account. He claimed to be a surgeon there. He wanted us to have pet names, I call him "dufus", which gives me a big kick. He loves me & is coming to the U.S. to marry me; always calls me dear. Anyway, it's fun jerking these guys around, shortly I will tell this guy that he tried this before with me, and call him a liar & thief again.
Scammer alert
February 20, 2021
A guy under the name of Canud Canud made contact on Facebook messenger, lovely looking guy, peppery grey beard and profile pics with a golden retriever in the background. Soon asked me to move to Hangouts to talk more securely (never heard of this site). Said he lived in Hawaii with his son called Jeffrey, and his ex wife has re married leaving him to care for his son. Currently working as a private surgical doctor in Yemen & his son recently had a fall, claims he cannot access his accounts due to his location, so wanted me to complete a vacation application and pay $220 so he could go back to Hawaii and take care of his son & visit me on the way back to Yemen. Wanted us to marry very quickly, said he would take me places I hadn’t been before & that we would grow old together. Used words such as ‘baby’ ‘queen’ etc - got very angry when I said I wouldn’t complete the form for him. Complete scammer - blocked and deleted Hangouts. Said his name was Austin Miller
Mimi
February 20, 2021
Has anyone heard from an orthopedic surgeon in Syria named Steven Bradon. Says he’s in prison and needs money to get out and come home. Fell in love with me just looking at my picture, but always asking for more money. Wanted me to claim to be his wife so he could get back to the States. I’ve been sending him money even though everyone that knows about it says he’s a scam. My husband found some of our love notes and is furious. Any else heard of this guy?
Robby D
April 10, 2021

In reply to by Mimi

This is identical to what happened to my unfaithful wife......who sent over $50k in a 4 month period (wt and Bitcoin) and stating in a letter to UN she was his fiancée and can they please let him come home!
Rick
April 19, 2021

In reply to by Mimi

This is the same guy my wife’s been with for 8 months. She even sent the letter to the UN. We are very close to breaking up after 42 years because of it. She can’t stop lying about it and trying to find ways to sneak it all by me.
Patsy
April 21, 2021

In reply to by Mimi

This group is very sophisticated and very aggressive. They will keep coming after you with live bombs and constant texts and emails. Delete the texts and block the numbers. Any time you reply you are encouraging them to stay after you.
LoopyLou72
February 20, 2021
Met a spanish guy on Tinder claims to be working in Yemen as Orthopedic surgeon. Very romantic, not asked for any money wants to come to UK to see me sometime. Obvs cant at moment because of pandemic. How do I find out if he is real? Sends pictures of himself, white guy, he is also on linked in but is the Tinder romancer using his photo. Help
Don't use your…
February 21, 2021
Has anyone come across a man who went by the user name of earlybird920 on Mingle2. Goes by Frank Robinson, Claims to be from Gloucester. England. After few months of chatting on WhatsApp, then moved to Hangouts, mysteriously landed a contract job in Istanbul. Works as computer programmer. Job was only meant to last few months been there supposedly over a year now. Still waiting for payment which he’s having trouble getting, attorney he hired costing him a fortune. Few months ago found his Instagram page of course he denied it, claims he has a twin brother. Don’t believe that for a second. Found out he’s still on dating sites especially Mamba goes by name of Sean or James 52 Lagos but he’s actually from Tel Aviv, even denies he has children. Has never once wanted to talk always texting, conveniently camera broken on the phone, hence him not sending pictures. If anyone has spoke to him, feel free to comment
Yendee
February 21, 2021
I have been talking to a man claiming to be a Military Engineer deployed in Yemen for UN peacekeeping mission. He never asked me for anything but when we were talking about meeting in person he just said about I need to help him secure a ticket through an agent because it's his personal vacation the DoD will not pay for his fly tickets home. He's been using a number +1 (214).
Steve
February 22, 2021
I met a supposedly an American woman online. Her name is Doris Peters. She claims she is at a secret location in Turkey working for the United Nations. She told she is an American woman who is being forced by the United Nations to work over in Turkey. She wants to come back home to the United States but she told me she needs $3000 to get out of her United Nations contract. Do people that work for the United Nations really have to paid the United Nations money to get out of their work contracts? She told me she signed a 4 year contract and that she stills has 2 years left on her contract. I met her on Facebook but right after I met her she told me to meet over on Google Hangouts. After I did that her Facebook account disappeared. Luckily I haven't sent any money to her yet. I think she is just a professional scammer trying to get money out me.
CatsRCool
February 25, 2021
A family member is being asked for money, lots, for an alleged dr overseas in a war zone with two daughters that is trying to get back to Boston. Familiar to anyone?
Jane Doe
February 25, 2021
Does anyone know a guy named David Harman? He claims to be an orthopedic surgeon currently stationed in Yemen. He said his wife passed away and that he has two children in a boarding school in Scotland. Please help me out here.
Mysterious Wynd
February 28, 2021

In reply to by Jane Doe

How do I see photos? Does he have brown eyes and hair, salt and pepper beard? Often in scrubs in the photos? Occasionally wearing facemasks? I am positive my Mom is being scammed, but she doesn't want to hear it.
angelalloyd
August 29, 2021

In reply to by Jane Doe

its 100% scam sorry, excat same thing has happened to hundreds of people, UN doctor, no parents, kids in boarding school ect there hasnt been any UN missions of any kind in yemem since 1963
faked out
February 26, 2021
where can I see see or post photos?
Don't use your…
February 26, 2021
My guy friend fell for this woman in the phillipines . talk this woman for a while video chat him. . before you know it he send money for medical reasons to this woman over seas. . . you just don't do it said him .
Bcareful
February 27, 2021
I’ve met the Following: Robert Brian surgeon Mark Anderson surgeon Fred Guyen engineer Gason Benard in military All widowers or caught wife with Best Friend Gason Bernard or Benard asks for iTunes cards constantly. All started on fb, Instagram or messenger but request to go over to WhatsApp because it’s easier to communicate then will ask if we can chat on hangout. I know they’re up to no good but I string them along, after I say I can’t guess what they disappear.
Return to top