Protect Yourself - Romance Scammers

Romance scammers create fake profiles on dating sites and apps or contact you through popular social media sites like Instagram or Facebook. The scammers strike up a relationship with you to build up trust, sometimes talking or chatting several times a day. Then, they make up a story and ask for money.

How to Avoid Losing Money to a Romance Scammer:
Here’s the bottom line — Never send money or gifts to a sweetheart you haven’t met in person.
If you suspect a romance scam:

• Stop communicating with the person immediately.
• Talk to someone you trust. Do your friends or family say they’re concerned about your new love interest?
• Search online for the type of job the person has plus the word ​“scammer.” Have other people posted similar stories? For example, search for ​“oil rig scammer” or ​“US Army scammer.”
• Do a reverse image search of the person’s profile picture. Is it associated with another name or with details that don’t match up?

Those are signs of a scam.