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:
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 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.
In reply to I met a Ortho doctor on line. by Curious Georgina
In reply to Omg, same guy. How do I get by Melissa
In reply to I met a Ortho doctor on line. by Curious Georgina
In reply to I have also been talking to a by Got scammer
In reply to I have also been talking to a by Got scammer
In reply to I’m talking to similar guy, by Blueberry
In reply to I have also been talking to a by Got scammer
In reply to sounds familiar with the gray by JATDon't use y…
In reply to I have also been talking to a by Got scammer
In reply to I’ve been talking to a guy I by Grace
In reply to I’ve been talking to a guy I by Grace
In reply to I have also been talking to a by Got scammer
In reply to I met a Ortho doctor on line. by Curious Georgina
In reply to I met a Ortho doctor on line. by Curious Georgina
In reply to I met someone online. His by Nancy Drew
In reply to I met someone online. His by Nancy Drew
In reply to I met someone online. His by Nancy Drew
In reply to The guy I met on Instagram by Stay away from…
In reply to The guy I met on Instagram by Stay away from…
In reply to I met someone online. His by Nancy Drew
In reply to Nancy, I to was contacted on by To Good To Be
In reply to Nancy, I to was contacted on by To Good To Be
In reply to Nancy, I to was contacted on by To Good To Be
In reply to I met someone online. His by Nancy Drew
In reply to I met someone online. His by Nancy Drew
In reply to This sounds like my guy who I by Dva316
In reply to This sounds like my guy who I by Dva316
In reply to Could you please send me a by Annj
In reply to Hello! I am afraid this story by Lukanette
In reply to Hello! I am afraid this story by Lukanette
In reply to Could you please send me a by Annj
In reply to that sounds just like a guy i by Don't use your…
In reply to What kind of work was he by Concerned
In reply to I am talking to a man who by Landy
In reply to I am talking to a man who by Landy
In reply to That sounds like a guy that by cattail22
In reply to That sounds like a guy that by cattail22
In reply to that sounds just like a guy i by Don't use your…
In reply to that sounds just like a guy i by Don't use your…
In reply to Hi your story sounds very by Gabriellalani
In reply to Hello everyone,first let me by Penny Bonnie
In reply to Hello everyone,first let me by Penny Bonnie
In reply to Hello everyone,first let me by Penny Bonnie
In reply to Hi your story sounds very by Gabriellalani
In reply to Many men are scammers in by annnymous
In reply to Hi your story sounds very by Gabriellalani
In reply to Ladies/Gentlemen all I can by Loulou2934
In reply to I am working with an elderly by Kialli
In reply to I was scammed a few years ago by Libra
In reply to Have had several from Words by Lane
Pagination