These scams work by exploiting your emotions. Fraudsters set up fake profiles on dating websites, apps and social media. They try to appeal to your compassionate side and then ask for money.
Some of the typical reasons they’ll use are:
To avoid falling victim to a romance scam, never send money to someone you’ve only met online.
Fraudsters often go to great lengths to gain your trust, sometimes sending gifts such as flowers, wine or chocolates.
They usually ask for lots of personal information, but share very little about themselves.
Here are some tell-tale signs that you're actually dealing with a fraudster:
One of these points on its own may be innocent. But more than one, together with a request for money, can be a sign that it’s a romance scam.
To find out more about this and other common types of fraud, download our scams leaflet (PDF, 333KB). You can also read updates about the latest scams as we come across them.
If you think you've been the victim of a romance scam, make sure you tell us. You should also report it to the dating site or app and to Action Fraud.
Check out the government-backed campaign Take Five to find out more about how to guard against financial fraud.
