Preventing fraud Personal scams

Keep yourself safe from romance scams

Fraudsters create online profiles and pose as potential romantic interests. They try to get you to develop an emotional attachment with their online persona. As trust builds, the fraudster shares a fabricated story that often leads them to ask for financial assistance. Once they receive your money, the fraudster will usually cut off all contact with you. Learn how to protect yourself from romance scams.

2-minute read

What you need to know

Romance scammers prey on your desire for a relationship and specialize in appealing to your emotions.
They'll eventually ask for money to solve a made-up problem they're facing, such as a medical or family emergency.
Fraudsters often discourage you from discussing your new relationship with family or friends.

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How does a romance scam happen?

A fraudster creates a fake social media or online dating profile and reaches out to you. They develop a relationship with you through online communication making sure to avoid meeting face to face. The fraudster shares invented tales of problems, such as needing life-saving surgery or having legal troubles, and they'll ask you for money to help them. After they receive your money, the fraudster will either continue creating stories for more money or will cut off all contact with you.

Signs of a romance scam

The fraudster tends to communicate in a very reassuring manner to get you to trust them
The fraudster quickly professes their love for you and avoids face-to-face interactions
Their online profile is a new account that lacks much of an online presence
The fraudster claims they need financial assistance for emergency situations
You may be called by the wrong name, as the fraudster interacts with several targets at the same time

Stay safe with our tips

Don't feel pressured or rushed to send money to someone you've met online. Only send money to people you’re familiar with and have met in person.
Never share your personal or financial information with anyone, especially online. Fraudsters will try to get this data to get your money.
When developing a connection with people online, investigate their social media and other details to find out if they're who they claim to be.
Search Google Images to see if their profile picture appears on the internet under a different name.

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Keep yourself safe from romance scams

What you need to know

How does a romance scam happen?

Signs of a romance scam

Stay safe with our tips

Explore more types of fraud and scams

Learn more about romance scams

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