Romance Scams and Requests for Money: Official Warning Signs
If someone you met on a dating site, an app or social media starts asking for money, the FTC describes that as a romance scam pattern: scammers build trust and then "make up a story and ask for money." Its bottom line: "Never send money or gifts to a sweetheart you haven't met in person." If you suspect a scam, stop communicating, talk to someone you trust and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
What the official pages say
The FTC page What To Know About Romance Scams describes a familiar pattern. Scammers "create fake profiles on dating sites and apps" or contact people through popular social media sites. They "strike up a relationship with you to build up trust, sometimes talking or chatting several times a day." Soon they want to email, call or message you off the platform. They say it is true love, but they live far away, and then they start asking for money, perhaps for a plane ticket, emergency surgery "or something else urgent."
The stories scammers tell
The FTC notes that "Romance scammers adjust their story to what they think will work in each situation." The page gives these examples:
- They cannot meet you in person. They may say they are living or traveling outside the country, "working on an oil rig, in the military, or working with an international organization."
- They ask for money. Once they have your trust, they may ask for help with medical expenses for them or a family member, a ticket to visit you, or money to get them out of trouble.
- They offer an investment. "They may even offer to help you get started in cryptocurrency investing."
The picture on this page is illustrative only: it shows two people on a wooden pier by the sea and a small boat on the horizon, not a real case.
How they tell you to pay
According to the FTC, scammers want your money quickly, and they want it "in a way that makes it hard for you to get it back." They may tell you to wire money through a money transfer company, put money on gift cards and give them the PIN codes, send money through a money transfer app, or transfer cryptocurrency. The general FTC page How To Avoid a Scam adds a simple rule: never pay someone who insists that you can only pay with cryptocurrency, a wire transfer service, a payment app or a gift card.
Four general signs of a scam
The same general page lists four signs that apply to many scams, not only romance scams: scammers pretend to be from an organization you know, say there is a problem or a prize, pressure you to act immediately, and tell you to pay in a specific way. Scammers often pretend to be contacting you on behalf of the government, and they can change the phone number that appears on your caller ID. They might threaten to arrest you, sue you, take away your driver's or business license, or deport you. The page warns that "Scammers want you to act before you have time to think," while "Honest businesses will give you time to make a decision."
If you suspect a romance scam
The FTC suggests these steps:
- "Stop communicating with the person immediately."
- Talk to someone you trust. The FTC asks: "Do your friends or family say they're concerned about your new love interest?" The general page names a friend, a family member or a neighbor as people to tell, and says talking about it could help you realize it's a scam.
- Search online for the type of job the person says they have plus the word "scammer," for example "oil rig scammer," and see whether other people have posted similar stories.
- Do a reverse image search of the person's profile picture. If it is associated with another name or with details that do not match up, the FTC says "Those are signs of a scam."
How to report it
If you already paid a romance scammer with a gift card, wire transfer, credit or debit card, or cryptocurrency, the FTC says to "contact the company or your bank right away." Tell them you paid a scammer and ask them to refund your money. If you think it is a scam, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and "Notify the social networking site or app where you met the scammer, too."
What is not covered or depends on the situation
The cited pages describe common patterns and first steps. They do not say what happens after a report or whether a bank or company will refund money in a given case, and they do not address questions about anyone's personal situation. Because scammers shape their story to what they think will work, the details you see may differ from the examples above.
Where to look next
For a scam that does not fit this pattern, the USAGov scams and fraud page lets you "answer a few questions to learn how to report the scam to the right place."
About this page
This page is general information drawn from official government pages, not a review of anyone's personal circumstances. A question about your own situation belongs with an independent attorney.
VisaNow.AI is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. This page is general information taken from official government pages; it does not assess anyone's case. An attorney-client relationship arises only with an independent attorney. Check the official pages for current details.
Information current as of 2026-10-30