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Image of cupid and heartNot everyone using online dating sites is looking for love. Scammers create fake online profiles using photos of other people — even stolen pictures of real military personnel. They profess their love quickly. And they tug at your heartstrings with made-up stories about how they need money — for emergencies, hospital bills, or travel. Why all of the tricks? They’re looking to steal your money.

As if all that isn’t bad enough, romance scammers are now involving their victims in online bank fraud. Here’s how it works: The scammers set up dating profiles to meet potential victims. After they form a “relationship,” they come up with reasons to ask their love interest to set up a new bank account. The scammers transfer stolen money into the new account, and then tell their victims to wire the money out of the country. Victims think they’re just helping out their soulmate, never realizing they’re aiding and abetting a crime.  

Here are some warning signs that an online love interest might be a fake. They ask you to:

  • chat off of the dating site immediately, using personal email, text, or phone
  • wire money using Western Union or Money Gram
  • set up a new bank account

Did you know you can do an image search of your love interest’s photo in your favorite search engine? If you do an image search and the person’s photo appears under several different names, you’re probably dealing with a scammer. And if the person’s online profile disappears a few days after they meet you, that’s another tip-off.

Here’s the real deal: Don’t send money to someone you met online — for any reason. If your online sweetheart asks for money, you can expect it’s a scam.

Unfortunately, online dating scams are all too common. There may be tens of thousands of victims, and only a small fraction report it to the FTC. If this happens to you, please report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

A woman looking at a dating site on her computer.

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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.

Brenmich
July 08, 2020
I have been talking to a guy on line for 3yrs he has taken me for a lot of money is there anything I can do
Fireopal
July 08, 2020
So I did some more digging on Wills G aka Wills Graham and through social catfish found pics of him on 4 other sites. Also goes by Peter on Charm and Gabriel Jones. One says he's 40 the other 64 which is what he told me. I did ask if he was on any other sites and he must have clued in I found him and now he says he was on Facebook, found out he was being used so got off Facebook. Great way to explain why he's popping up all over the internet. I asked for a video call and all I got back was how I didn't trust him and how insecure I was blah blah blah. So beware ladies. Block him.
Becka
July 09, 2020
This guy also goes by David Hawkins, engineer, from Perth, dead wife, dead parents, only child, college in England, business w owner in Need Jersey. Got all his belongings stolen when he went to Turkey and is now stuck there. Oh and also he got really sick and wound up in the hospital with no money to cover his expenses. He Uses the same story with a little variances with each different person. Funny. If these people are so very rich, why can't the company get them home? So many holes in their story
Alex0945
July 09, 2020
hi my friend is talking to someone who is in the army as a surgeon his name is robinson he has a child frome nine years old who has passed away but i think he is a catfish he never calls with her he makes excuses and say i wil meet you soon but on the date that he should come he never show up and she wait for him like hours anyone who has a similar situation
SuspiciousDaughter
July 09, 2020
Hi all, my dad recently reveived he’s been having an 8 month online/phone relationship with someone claiming to be a 40ish year old woman named Mavis Larry, lives in South Africa with a daughter 10 yrs old. Sounds like no money has bee propositioned, but they have been discussing her visiting my dad (who lives in the states) and I’m pretty certain this is a scam. The met online, have never met in person, she sends lots of pics, claims she cannot video chat because she doesn’t have a phone to do that, but she can use friends phones to send pics. I have one pic of her I reverse google searched with no results, as well as an email address that doesn’t show up either. My dad is intent that she is real, they will meet, and even said he hopes he can visit her in Africa sometime. Anyone have a story similar to this one?
Sawsha
July 10, 2020
My 88 year old dad has been involved in this exact scam for years! His current scam girlfriend claims she's in a concentration camp in the UK and has to come up with $1400 a month or she gets beaten!! My foolish dad gives it to her! He's gotten us evicted because he wasn't paying his share of our rent! We lived in the last home 20 Year's now we're in a apartment and he's still doing it and worse!
Mel
July 10, 2020
There is a woman out there as well. I had to take a VRO out in only 5 weeks of, got sucked right in. And found at least 5 different names so it’s not just guys
Danielle
July 11, 2020
Has anyone run into a Michael Sander? That both his parents died one year after the other has a little girl named lorrie that lives with her mom in Las Vegas. that is on special mission in Lagos Nigeria but he's in the army from Addison Texas stationed out of San Antonio???
tawebb49
July 11, 2020
Has anyone had any dealings with Thomas Ranger? I met him on online dating site.
Sandra
July 12, 2020
Has anyone been contacted by someone with this number. 1 505 278 0693. They use the names ken west or ellis goldberg
Anonymous
July 12, 2020
I met someone on a dating site, his name is Jas Thiara. He claims to be a hedge fund director and is from the UK. He will pretend to be amazing then slowly start showing how amazing his fund is doing and then ask you to invest. Then he’ll be gone once he has your money.
widla
July 12, 2020
Hi, where can I find their photos? I guess the pictures they send us are not real their.
LT
July 12, 2020
Scammed by an Erick Jorgen who said he was Norwegian living in San Jose. Working on an oil rig in Texas. Lucky I found out early.
Frs
July 13, 2020
Has anyone had a run in with some named Amanda Rhoades? She claims she is an exterior/interior designer who recently took a contract in Nicosia, Cyprus. She immediately started asking for money to pay Customs to release her goods that were ordered for her design project. She's always saying that she loves me and that she will pay me back after the project has been completed and the client has paid her in full. She also says that she can't wait to be with me and that as soon as the project is done she will come and visit. But the demand for funds have been relentless.
Don't use your…
July 13, 2020
I started talking to a man about a week ago his name is Frankie. First he was from New York looking for a relationship, marriage or intimate encounter. Came from New York.when he contacted me pushed me offline to a phone number, I called him on the intimate encounter thing. He removed it from his profile. Few days later now he comes from North Carolina. You stalked me for days calling me on the phone sending me messages that he loves me and. Allegedly his wife died in the 9/11 tragedy.coincidentally his daughter's name is the same as mine she's 25 years old going to college. Things seemed okay but he was too pushy with the love. Buy his daughter a BMW for her birthday. Asked me what I would buy her? I said I don't know her and I don't send gifts or anything to someone I don't know. He was angry with that. Went back on the dating site because I hadn't heard from him. Told me I was too stingy and selfish. He claims to own all these homes he's in a decorator of interior. Very defensive when I question his changing where he came from. I've had several men be widowed. They wanted me to send gifts to their children. This guy is the total con artist. he has two phones which he claims one is business and the other is personal. Phone numbers are 516 400 370 + 516 308 6080. I have photos of him and his daughter he sent me. I blocked him from the site and reported him and I blocked him on my phone. They're getting very clever. On how they approach you even on Facebook post comments. They claim they try to friend you.it wouldn't go through would you friend them and they have only one photo and little to no info please be careful.
ugandan scamme…
July 13, 2020
there are scammers that get on fb messenger and let you see them. Don't let that give you a false sense of security. I talked to one for over 7 months only to find out he was just after money.
Good guy
July 14, 2020
Women scammer Mabel Grant. From Georgia wants to get life together needs help moving sick mom absent dad scammer
Krazykatklapsback
July 14, 2020
I met a scammer on the hinge dating app. He said he was 44, single, no kids and works as an independent contractor on an oil rig. He goes by David Xhaka from Switzerland, but lives in Charlotte, NC. We conversed every day for nearly two months until he stated one of his machines broke and he needed money via bitcoins to send to the logistics company (JPL Logistics). He was quite the charmer and good looking. Ladies beware. I did not send him money.
Designer704
July 30, 2020

In reply to by Krazykatklapsback

I just asked this question about him. Exact same situation with me. Talked for like six weeks and that exact scenario came up. I didn’t give him any money either. Well he wanted me to transfer money from his account to somewhere
Angie66
July 14, 2020
Has any heard the name Jim Wesley? Norway oil worker too.
Pipi
July 14, 2020
I have friends one that is being scammed and a couple that someone tried to scam, common denominator is there always out of the country for one reason or another. Military or work. I say, why do they want to start a relationship if they're out of the country even if it's only for a few months they would I think wait to come get back home before they start a relationship. I think it's a red flag.
RefuseToBeScammed
October 30, 2020
Hartley Smith smith_ hartley 250 messaged me on IG and within a matter of minutes wanted to move the conversation to hangouts. I created a new account under a fake name to chat with him because I was already highly suspicious and it was very obvious he was not who he said he was. Claimed to be a Spanish man but was born and raised in North Carolina, terribly broken English. wife died of leukemia 5 years ago, both parents died and he was raised by a neighboring teacher (that just doesn’t happen in America). He claimed his mom was American and dad a Spanish man but he was not proud of his dad’s background so he took on his mom’s last name (Smith). I quickly saw through his attempts to sway me into believing he was the handsome, blonde hair blue eyes staff sergeant I saw in the photos and each time I questioned him he would get angry and swear at me. I let the conversation play out an entire day catching him in lie after lie with a complete disregard to my pointing it out before I really shut the conversation down. He also claimed to be on relief assignment in the states but would be return to Ireland in two days to finish out his last month before returning. He also mentioned an oil rig which appears to the theses scammers MO. (I assume had I continued the conversation I would have been asked for money after his return to Ireland). Unfortunately a reserve image search came up empty with the photos he sent and the ones I pulled from IG. He was also very quick to block me on IG after I chatted him on hangouts. smith_ hartley250
Alexche66
July 15, 2020
What’s happening if a romance scammer is not asking for anything from you?
Writer77
July 21, 2020

In reply to by Alexche66

Just be patient ... it might be a money mule scam which takes longer to establish as they need to get confident enough to put large amount of money on your account (in case YOU would be a scammer too and disappear with their money) ... so they wont ask you money, they will give you money, then you will transfer it somewhere and you will be associated with a fraud
Pondering
July 29, 2020

In reply to by Alexche66

GO very slow and make sure you tell them your flat broke and they have to get to you on there own merits. That tends to weed them out pretty fast.
Juju.917
July 15, 2020
Hi I'm talking to a marine name Anderson Bonilla he asked me if I can have his personal documents mailed to me but I have to pay $1250.00 to the deliy service to have it mailed to me I'd this a scam
Nic66
July 15, 2020
Anyone here from a George Daniels? Works as Head of Operations for Transocean Deep Water Drilling in the UK Wife killed in a car wreck 6 years ago. Son-15 years old He creates a very convincing story!
Tanis
July 15, 2020
I i am talking to a Lt James Reinitz he is a combat engineer deployed in Iran he is Divorced Has a son named Michael His mother has Alzheimer We are romantically involved Has anyone heard of him
Silver Tulip 08
August 14, 2020

In reply to by Tanis

Dear Tanis Unfortunately, your Lt James Reinitz has just lost his heart to me on Scrabble GO. Beware girl! Run as fast as you can from this scammer. PS: He has a picture of a young army personnel with a small boy in mohawk cut hair.
Pretty Tone
July 16, 2020
I have been talking to a Mary J Wattson profile on Facebook. Anybody else talking to her? I think it's a fake but the reverse image search only shows one result. I hope someone else out there is being put through the same scam.
Catrina
October 30, 2020
I have been reading these comments. What stories these men create. I joined a dating site, Elite Singles, 3 weeks ago. First time doing this. What a joke. In the last 7 days two scammers have been in contact with me. One is named Russell H. Williams, email: Russ Williams013 . Age 59, Civil Engineer, wife killed 7 yrs ago in auto accident, dtr 26 one day and 27 the next day. He states he lives in Lost Springs, Wyo(population of 4). Bald, attractive. Very good with words but English is his second language. Born in France to a French mom and Australian dad. Raised in Australia. Came on really strong with romantic talk on first day. Immediately wanted to talk on phone or email. I wouldn't give him phone number, but gave him an email that I only used for the dating site. Dtr getting a Master's degree in Australia. He sends very long lovey emails. The second day he got more lovey. Didn't engage like he was including my info in his emails as you would in a normal give and take email. Anyway, the third day I asked him some questions like where he worked, how he liked living where he did, where he got his Master's degree. Nothing. No response from him. He never asked me for money, but I didn't give him time. There were red flags. I sent him an email telling him that he shouldn't try and fool a female who had worked with hundreds of prisoners. The reason I did that was because he took his name and pic off the site, but a new guy named Russ popped up and got a hold of me. He too was attractive, sort of, age 60, was working in Montana as some kind of property type management person. He also wanted to go to a private email or use a phone without even talking to me. I told him that English was a second language for him and he said he was French! Didn't bother to get any more info from him, just told him he should meet Russell from France and Australia. End of these guys. So beware. I think it was the same guy and he didn't remember my name or picture. I reported both to Elite Singles and they will check them out. Two weeks ago same story with a guy named Dave. Told him I wouldn't give him my phone number or email. Really bad vibes from him. I cancelled my membership. I had my age as 65 so maybe the older females re a bigger target. Beware!!!
Emmamail address
July 16, 2020
Has anyone come across the name Anthony Miller.
Anne2020
August 24, 2020

In reply to by Emmamail address

I know someone who is speaking to an Anthony Miller at this time. Would love to hear more on this guy.
James50
July 16, 2020
Hello I don't know if I am in on a scam I am talking to. Her About year Now no video chat with her still And even no voice call just once I pay her rent and food And plane ticket to comeback to Canada All$ sent to her is buying cards gift cards or western Union so And she's living in Istanbul turkey but she is a Canadian citizen so I have called her out many times About of being a scam just has a answer for everything help me
FedupintheUK
July 16, 2020
Please be aware of an offshore worker called Charles Williams, 57 year old, lost his wife 6 years ago to cancer. He was born in Dublin, now lives in Brooklyn, New York but on an oil rig in Germany. 2 children Lisa & John who live with Grandma in Paris, France. Plenty of photo's and one even photo-shopped after trying to check him out on line. Only blocked him yesterday when he asked for 4,000 euros to pay for machinery to finish his job. I met him on Scrabble Go, the scammers are such charmers.
Mitzion't use …
July 28, 2020

In reply to by FedupintheUK

I think he tried to initiate conversation with me. Met o scrabble site. Wes an independence co track to. An oil well in the gulf. Lived I. Texas I think. Was a real jerk when I told him I didn’t want to continue texting. Said my boyfriend was scamming me.
Dallas
July 16, 2020
Has anyone heard of Luigi Fox? I met him online but things started to not add up. Very sweet, all photos professionally done. Tried to do a revers image of it but nothing showed up. Tired of paying sights to check out a person you met on a dating sight. Says he is a widow, never had kids, from Italy, moved to Texas from California, has a sister that he doesn't get along with or talk to. Has his own aerospace company and was offered a job to go work in Spain for a few weeks on company planes. Leaves this Saturday and would like me to take care of some business for him and asked me for my banking information so he could put some money in there so I can send it to a 3rd company because he wont have great internet service over there. I just wanted to put this out there because I have a feeling he may be taking to several people because he made a slip on one text by putting another persons name on there when he said hi. Let me know if someone else has. His pictures he uses is a very nice looking man. Grey hair, looks like hazel eyes more brown. Wish I could post a picture. Good luck out there, be smart, no good guy is going to ask you for money if they haven't even meet you.
mad and ticked off
July 17, 2020
I was scammed by a man named Dalton Jerry he said he was from Germany and had a daughter that was ill wife and sons killed in accicdent in California he said he lives in Los Angeles but I think he lives in Texas now . funny that he worked on oil rig and had no money I went broke because of him and he didn't care everytime he was to come to see me he got sick or he used the ticket I bought him and went to see another woman. he had a so called lawyer tell me I had to pay his taxes so I did and I got squat and so I took everything and now I am trying to get some of my money back but I found out that all of my money went to a bank in Nigeria so I doubt very much if I will see nothing. I just wish I would of listened to my gut when he asked me to be friends with him on FB because I would of turned him down if I would of known there was a oil rig dating scam site
Ux
July 17, 2020
Is anyone knows Mike Davies? He claims that he is IT specialists working on security codes. He also said that we have son who lives with his auntie in Texas and he’s working in Chicago.
Rick
July 17, 2020
Has anyone been scammed on League of Legends gamer app by anyone?
Sammyann
July 18, 2020
Have you noticed a lot of scammers 2 first names- fir example Paul Frank, John James, Michael Nicholas, Jimmy Lee, Derek Mark - these have all contacted me via LinkedIn. Although John Townsend was a definite LinkedIn scam caught out by a reverse search
Lovethesun
July 18, 2020
I have been talking to a guy for 3 months who called himself Richard Phil and claiming he had a private 7 month contract with Doyon Drilling in Alaska. It all started very friendly while he was on his rest days at home in Florida as he left to fly to Alaska he asked me to speak to him through Hangouts, again all friendly claimed he was widowed and lived alone. He told me it was his last contract before taking early retirement but low and behold a machine broke down beyond repair. He stated it was his responsibility to replace as that was one of the stipulations of his contract. He gave me a sob story that he could not access his bank account while away and would I lend him the money which he would pay me back when he was paid at the end of the contract. He also stated he wanted to join me in the UK where I live. After I told him I did not have that kind of money he started to get very moody but then became all friendly again in a couple of days and asked if I could pay what I could into one of his workers bank account as the worker(Nigerian) was able to leave site to get to a bank. Again I told him sorry but no. He went very moody again for a couple of days then became very friendly vowing he loved me and wanted to be with me but was then asking for iTune cards. Alarm bells were really ringing by now and thankfully with the help of family we were able to establish he had taken the identity of a poor innocent man. Just be extra vigilant folks if someone contacts you out of the blue.
Cnugscammed
July 18, 2020
Has anyone dealt with a man James Giovanni. Good looking Italian man living in Connecticut with his son Leo and dog Max. He’s a widow, wife died of breast cancer 2-3 years ago. He is very romantic. Sending love songs and professing his love etc. He’s a mechanical engineer doing a contract job on Exxon Ursa oil rig. We went from Instagram to text due to oil rig work and needed to use satellite phone. 2 weeks into 3 week job his equipment breaks down. He can’t get good internet to access his bank account to release money to pay for new equipment to be shipped to him He can’t get a good signal to do the money transfer. As soon as he started texting this I became more suspicious. Says he can only count on me. He has no family or friends that care about him and his son. When I did reverse phone number searches on information search sights nothing comes up. Has anyone come across this guy? Good looking, thin, salt and pepper hair, beard
Datadrone
July 19, 2020
I met John while playing scrabble app. He wanted to chat on Whatsapp. this is the first time i experienced this. He sent photos to me really handsome man. I googled the photo and it was a photo of an actor. I told him this and he was very upset saying why i posted his photo. He kept saying he love me and will never hurt me. I told him I dont play games. He said he is a Widower with an 11 yr ol son. He is a Marine engineer in the Gulf of Mexico. keeps asking me to buy Bitcoin, send Money (even sent me an 'agent' email address and wants me to purchase an Amazon card. I told him Banks are closed in my Country in this Pandemic. He video called me and it cut off after a few seconds, I suspect it was a video because he din't respond to any of my questiions, just kept saying 'you're gorgeous' oh puhleeze. That don't sway me. They are disgusting because they play with your emotions without conscience. Please put a stop to these people. They are hurting lonely people who don't deserve this.
Tony
July 19, 2020
Anyone knows Bella Lauren a make up artist from Florida? She lost her job due to the pandemic and she is asking for birthday gift
Trisha1971
July 19, 2020
I have a question, I was on this Dominican republic dating site, well this guy named Alex started talking to me, the next day he asked me if I had the whatsapp, I said no, so I down loaded it, he gave me his no. So I started texting him, and then he was telling me he wantede to put him in a place in my heart. And we talked on the third day, and then he askede if I had a cash app, I said no because I don't need one, so next he callede on the WhatsApp, and I saw him, he looks the same on his profile picture. So I'm looking at him while he is talking about this app, he said that he invest worth people in the Dominican republic but he can't invest outside of Dominican republic. So he askede if I would open a cash app for him here so he can invest here. Is this a scam?
Can
July 20, 2020
Anyone heard of Adam Woods working on an oil rig
Bella20
July 20, 2020
My gurls need to be careful with “ Williams Charles Rodriguez he’s a Romance scammer he’ll tell you that both of his parents had died on a motor accident that he has serve the army since he was 15 n that he’s a single parent age 29 with Two kids Their mom passed away due to breast cancer n later on he would ask Amazon card $200 for his daughters birthday cause he couldn’t find or have the time to go to the store n that the government carries they military’s money He supposedly live in Richmond Virginia N works on computer for the commander in Syria he will make his best for you to fall in love . N later on will talk about A box Of 250k that he was rewarded for a mission In Afghanistan n tell u to keep it private n try to deliver to you by a Red Cross agent n soon the company email you he wants to know everything n the company will ask you Lot of money for the shipment insurance n than the scammer Will try his best to persuade you to fall as his victim n than keeps asking for info N make u pay the money so he’s box can be safe n not to let him down lol so watch out my ladies be careful he had added me on fb n than WhatsApp . Be careful as soon u know what a scammer is doing you should block them right away .