Scammers build fake online relationships over weeks or months before manufacturing an emergency — a medical bill, a blocked account, a plane ticket home — that only you can solve with a wire transfer. They weaponize loneliness and empathy.
Every case follows roughly the same playbook. Recognize the pattern, stop it early.
Stolen photos of models, soldiers, or doctors. Often claims to be widowed or divorced with kids.
Within days they're calling you 'my love' and talking about a future together.
Stuck on an oil rig, deployed overseas, working in another country. Video calls are impossible or extremely brief.
A medical emergency, a customs fee, a blocked account, a sick child. They need money now — and only you can help.
One 'loan' becomes many. They may introduce 'investment opportunities' or beg for continuing support.
If you're seeing two or more of these, assume it's a scam until proven otherwise.
Reverse-image search reveals them on stock sites or other profiles.
Claims to be American but writes in awkward, templated English.
Or video chats are blurry, brief, and always 'just one minute'.
Talks about marriage within days of matching.
Widowed, military deployed, lost a child. Designed to trigger empathy.
No matter the reason — walk away the moment money comes up.
All anonymized. Submitted through our report form.
He said he was an engineer working on an oil rig in the North Sea. For three months we talked every day. Then his 'daughter' got sick and he couldn't access his accounts because he was at sea. I sent $4,000. Then another $6,000 for 'customs.' I even took out a loan. When my daughter saw the messages she froze my accounts. I'd already lost $22,000.
Reverse-image search every profile photo. Use tile.net, Yandex, and Google Images — the better ones will turn up on multiple profiles or stock sites.
Never send money to someone you have not met in person — no matter the story. This rule has no exceptions.
Insist on a live video call before any emotional commitment. If they refuse for more than a week, they're lying about who they are.
Don't keep the relationship secret from friends and family. Isolation is how scammers work.
Your story could stop the next person from losing their savings. Submit anonymously in about two minutes.