The signal that should alert you: a relationship that moves fast emotionally, followed by a request for money, gift cards, or cryptocurrency — the most common pattern in romance scams on dating apps.
How the scam works
Step 1
The fabricated profile
Stolen photos and a credible backstory — often a wealthy older man — build an appealing profile.
Step 2
The fast connection
Conversation intensifies quickly, building emotional investment before any real-world meeting.
Step 3
The financial reversal
Instead of receiving support as promised, the target ends up sending money — for an "emergency," account "unlock" fees, or an unexpected setback.
Step 4
The disappearance
Once money is sent, the profile goes unreachable or keeps demanding more.
How to spot it
- A relationship that moves very fast, never leading to an in-person meeting.
- Any request for money, gift cards, or cryptocurrency, even framed as temporary.
- Repeated excuses to avoid video calls or real meetings.
What to do
- Never send money to someone you've only met online.
- Ask for a live video call to verify the person's real identity.
- Report the profile directly on the app.
- If you've already paid, contact your bank to dispute the payment if possible, and file a police report.
Egidio: your automatic phishing detector
These scams often come with payment links or fake identity-verification sites. Egidio flags fraudulent links before you click.
Egidio scans links arriving through your messaging apps in real time, blocking known fraudulent pages.
Install Egidio