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.

Tammy
July 22, 2021
Dr. In UK. Has 14 year old son who wants to call me mom. Sent check and wanted me purchase phone cards for the Dr's to call home. Wanted to deposit in ATM not at bank. Over 6000.00 dollars. Went to bank teller and she said the check was not good and I would have to pay the bank for the bad check
chelle74
August 01, 2021
Has anyone been contacted via POF from a Anthony Gilmour, doctor from US working in Australia? quite similar story to what i've been reading on here, widowed father of young son
chelle74
August 02, 2021
Stay clear of a Dr Anthony Gilmour. He contacted me via POF and we have spoken for a couple of months - apparently he is working in Australia. Alarm bells rang when he needed to send me a parcel and I had to pay the delivery. I did extensive research into the courier he was wanting to use and used reverse image search and finally found out the real identity of the photos. So glad I did my research before losing any money! He initially said that his wife died in childbirth and he has a 3 year old son. Be careful ladies
Turkish
August 03, 2021
Hi I met this guy who said he works on a platform rig. His name is Alex stefano ,wife died he has an 11yr old son In boarding in Turkey. He communicate on hangouts. I confronted him once .and he send me lots of pics of him which seems real.but he said there are still honest man in this world. He works for agip oil company. In the caspian sea.so far hasn't asked for anything but still can't get enough proof to confront him .if any of you can help please
Tanya Logan
September 20, 2021

In reply to by Turkish

I met someone similar he goes by the name Brookens Morgan Similar story Asked me for money to pick up emergency replacement parts for the rig Will pay me back once he gets home from this contract!
Bev
August 03, 2021
I’m talking to a UN surgeon working in Syria claiming he wants to come back to see me. His name is Dr Scott Mogford. He wants £1500 for flight.
JessicaL101
August 05, 2021
Was scammed by fabian Hernández who claimed to be a orthopedic surgeon working for the UN in Iraq. Asked for money, and said lots of lies. Be careful. He says he has an 11 year old daughter Maria in boarding school I San Francisco. Claims he lives in Beverly Hills. Complete scam artist.
Butterfly
August 11, 2021
Is there a Rismah Kane in Yemen? He said his an orthopedic surgeon for civilians and military there.... Robert William Kane or ??
suspiciousinma
August 11, 2021
Hi everyone I was just curious if anybody had heard this story. A family member of mine was on OkCupid and met somebody who said they were from the local area but has never given any information to prove that is true then when they were about to meet they said that their mother had to go to the hospital and then after that they had to go to Turkey. Very attentive constantly texting all hours of the night and then after a month asks for banking information to deposit a check then says his debit card doesn't work in Turkey and needs have someone to mail the card to and then take the cash out and send it to him. They said no to all of this. We then looked him up and found out that his two phone numbers that he's used are listed under complete strangers names and when my family member asked where she should send his mother's get well card he said an address and when we checked it it's also listed under a stranger's name. He's still trying to claim that we looked it up wrong but there's no way around it the information is giving isn't true. We also have noticed that he has not sent her any more pictures but keeps asking her for more even when she was upset with him and telling him that she wants to know the truth he randomly asked her for pictures. One of his first thing she did was ask her to delete the OKCupid app and go to WhatsApp and text with her. We have since discovered that her number is listed so he could have gotten any kind of personal information about her. His name is Chris Shepherd has anybody encountered this person?
Guds
August 15, 2021
I have been emailing a man called Leonard Dyson for the past week. He is working in Yemen as an orthopaedic surgeon. Based in the Sana’a hospital. Reckons he’s coming home at the end of the month. Says he has a dog called Fred. Lives in Crawley. Half English/Denmark… hasn’t asked for money yet. Sound familiar to anyone?
newburg1959
August 16, 2021
has anyone had contact with a Jeffrey Aurel from Smith Falls Ontario Canada? He claims to live there, and says he is of Hungarian decent yet, sounds like he is from Africa. Says he is self employed in finance.
Help me
August 22, 2021
I'm going through the same my Dr name is Andrew Sargent and he is a orthopedic surgeon currently in Turkey African American can anyone share pictures please
Sandrine
August 23, 2021
I was contacted by a man who says in an orthopedic surgeon in South Sudan. He contacted me a few days ago. I had lots of doubts and I'm glad I came across the website, I blocked him. His name is Matthew Otse alias Richard Harper!
Steve
August 27, 2021
I want to report on a scammer named Lee John Kelvin. He claims to be an Orthopedic Surgeon who joined the American soldiers in Hargeisa Somalia.He has been chatting and communicating with my wife via watsap and messenger on FB. My wife knew this person through FB when my wife added him as a friend of a friend on FB. He said that his wife had died and his son lived in a boarding school in America. He said he wanted to find a partner for my wife, maybe his intention was to cheat. But his intentions did not succeed. I'm sorry if my English isn't that good .. Tq
Dablao
August 31, 2021
Is there a guy by the name of Kenneth Davidson. He states, he is in Yemen until November. He states he is a doctor surgeon for NATO and working with NATO for 10 years. He says he is an othropedic surgeon by profession. He says he is 55 and has twin children both 17.
GiGi
August 31, 2021
This guy named Joe Behrendt keeps texting me with photos now on google hang out. Says he is in Afghanistan as an intelligent a gentleman . Has not asked for anything yet. Says he’s a widow. Says he’s co I g to visit me in October!
anotherscam
September 01, 2021
Hi. I'm wondering if anyone has been contacted by "Matthew Hale," another one of the self-proclaimed orthopedic surgeons working on contract with UN in Afghanistan. My grandma has sent him $26k in ONE MONTH and is pushing all of us away because she won't believe us. I'm trying to source any stories to crosscheck so I can prove this.
Confused
September 09, 2021

In reply to by anotherscam

Mine is also orthopaedic surgeon claims he medic for US army in Libya after 3 days claims he fallen in love with me he a widower and a 10 yr old son who lives with teacher in LA California and today said he won't be able to talk anymore unless a get stream card for 200 euros he said he wants to marry me he said he'd pay back with interest so said give me money and I get card but he then told me he can't access his account in states its frozen he think I'm stupid sent selfies and a pic of his home in america very lavish with pool his victims must have paid for it his name he going by is David Maxwell
LDS
September 06, 2021
Hi, I think I’m currently talking to the same guy. Met him on Scrabble. Only just started talking but it’s the same story, he works as a doctor for the UN in India. Wife has passed away and his daughter is in a boarding school in the US. Has anyone else got photos?
Confused and angry
September 23, 2021

In reply to by LDS

Jeff is on scrabble also. Says he is a orthopedic dr in Yemen. Beware
Ms. SassyLady
September 06, 2021
I play Yahtzee with friends and a guy calling himself Dr. Smith reached out while we were playing a game. Said he is from Chicago but currently contracted in Yemen through the UN. He said he is taking care of soldiers because there is a war. Doesn't mention the COVID pandemic running rampant in Yemen...
Angel
September 07, 2021
Did he say he has 4 officers with him at all time and recently been several attacks, he refers to where he stays as camp not base.i have photos and he has 12 year old son.home suspose to be cleavland ohio.been in contact since April this year till couple days ago.he got to me .
TennesseeGal
September 07, 2021
I met a lovely man on Words with friends who said he's an orthopedic surgeon in Iraq. After talking to this man Dr. Mark Marcus fora tiny bit in there he asked to move to hangouts where he then began asking for itunes cards to update his phone. He claimed to be a widower with a sickly son named David. Before I realized what he really was I sent over 300 dollars in itunes cards.
TennesseeGal
September 07, 2021
Anyone deal with A Dr Mark Marcus? Claims to be an Orthopedic Surgeon in Iraq. He met me on Words with friends and then asked to move to hangouts and then started asking for itunes cards and money to help his sick son David.
sassy
September 08, 2021
Michael M Edward from Houston, claiming to be with U N Syria, UN peacekeeping force is a scam/fraud. Kid in boarding school, widow, a doctor. 99% he is a fraud. Do your own research
Kb
September 13, 2021
I have a new one — Lars Johansen, a UN orthopedic surgeon in Somalia. I never responded to his multiple attempts to DM me, but he can’t be found on Google and many of his Instagram posts do not read like anything a 40+ year old would ever post. I smell a scam.
Ann Marie
September 16, 2021
Why are we letting this man get away with scammer ladies it’s really getting out of hand now how can we put a stop to it ,playing with peoples heads They are all good in what they do please ladies wake up don’t invite anybody you don’t know because there all scammers using different names and all there want is money to live there luxury life style.Block and report them for your own good .
So Sad
September 17, 2021
I found this article today and was very surprised and sad. I met this wonderful guy in a language exchange app. He said he is a surgeon woking for military in Syria in Peace Keeping Mission. I lnew it sounded a bit strange because surgeons are usually very busy and not wordy but he was so chatty. His parents died in a plane crash long time ago and grew up in an orphanage and he lost his wife to cancer and his daughter is in a boarding school. I felt really sorry that he had to go through such an ordeal. I believed his story anyway because he was really sweet and religious. But after reading this article and the comments, I realized that I was fooled by a scammer. A widowed surgeon story is almost a classic scammer story!!!
Mary Magee
September 17, 2021
Has anyone ever been scammed by a Walter Benjamin claiming to be a Captain in the US Army and on a peace keeping mission in Yemen? Says hes a widower with a 10 year old son whose teacher is looking after him. Also claims that he lived in Paris until he was 8 years old and returned to the USA. At the age of 8 ( allegedly) his parents were killed in a fire. In later years he got married and had his son years into the marriage. Again (allegedly) his wife died in child birth along with the child. He has asked me for a steam gift card, asked me to accept a package at my home address containing a lot of money but l would have to pay the fee of the cost to get it from London to where l live at a cost off £4, 000. Then he asked me to request leave for him from the Department of Defense in the UN. This of course stinks of a SCAM. Has anyone come across him?
USA immigrant
September 22, 2021
A man by the name of David Roland is portraying to be an American , working for the UN in Afghanistan as a Chiropractic Surgeon . He has fake credentials and is attempting to have a romance with me , and asking me for money . Please be aware
Fidelita
September 22, 2021
I have been approached by a man that says that his name is Liam Robert, Canadian from Toronto, currently working in Iémen for ONU, at the service ou The Canadian Navy. He aparrently is a widow for 4 years now and has a ten year old daughter. Is there a way to post pictures here. Because from the brief conversation we had i think he is a scame.
Confused and angry
September 23, 2021
There is a man going by name of Jeffrey Douglas. Says he is orthopedic dr serving in Yemen on peace mission with U.N. I have pictures I don’t understand why our fbi can’t round up these ppl.
Nick
September 23, 2021
This all sounds similar to my contact. He said he is a orthopedic surgeon from LA and is working under the UN ambassador in Israel. On his pictures he look quite smart. Is there anybody who had a similar contact.
Riderwild
October 13, 2021
Has anyone encountered a guy named Alex Mark who claims to be a board certified orthopedic surgeon and is a veteran? He started following me on Instagram 5 weeks ago. Goes by alexmark231. I am wary. Good looking guy with grey hair.
KFC
December 02, 2021
I am BBC searching for a poster on here. I saw her last night but I didn't write down her user name it is a name with 66 at the end I have her man or scammer right I. The palm of my hand. I need her to contact me. I have pictures
Return to top