Romance Scams

One of the most common scams reported are Romance scams. These days, it’s very common to meet a new friend online, on online dating websites and social media platforms like Facebook. However, it’s important to be cautious of people who are especially interested in getting money out of you.

Fraudsters create fake profiles, begin relationships with unsuspecting individuals and aim to win trust and build the relationship to a point where the other person is emotionally invested. Before long they profess strong feelings, despite never having met in person or on a video call. Sometimes this can take several weeks, months, or even a few years.

After building a connection and winning trust, suddenly the person has an emergency - often an unexpected medical or visa expense, threats to the safety or monetary hardship - and requests financial help from their new loved one. Payment is often requested by money transfer or gift cards, which means that they are almost impossible to track or to reclaim.

For more information visit Scamwatch.

Warning signs and what to look for

• The relationship is moving fast and a person professes their love for you after a short period of time
• The scammer’s profile contains vague or few images across platforms
• If you are chatting on your usual social media platform or an official dating service, they will quickly try and move the conversation offsite, for example to WhatsApp, never video or face-to-face
• They make excuses if you ask to meet in person or they always have an excuse and have to cancel
• They attempt to isolate you from your family or friends or request photos, videos or financial information that could later be used against you
• Desperate messages or threats if you say no
• Requests for financial assistance or help to get into Australia
• If you send money, they ask for more funds to help them

How to protect yourself

• Pay attention to red flags and follow your intuition if something feels off
• Allow relationships to develop slowly and naturally, get to know your new love interest over time
• Google and research the person you’re messaging to see if their name comes up or there are other platforms that may help you verify who they are
• Never send money to someone you haven’t met in person
• Set up a video chat or in person meeting to verify their identity, although you must still be careful to not give away personal information too soon and don’t ignore the warning signs just because you’ve met them in person
• Never send money to someone you don’t really know
• Don’t be afraid to say no. If they threaten to break up with you, they aren’t the one
• Share your feelings with a trusted friend or family member.

What to do if you have been scammed

If you suspect or have been targeted by a romance scam:

• Contact us immediately (How to report fraud or scams)
• Cease all communication with the person
• Change passwords on all your email, social, online dating and financial accounts
• Report the scammer to the dating or social media site on which you met. This is important so the hosting platform can remove the scammer’s profile and prevent them from victimising others
• Report the scam online to Scamwatch