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Dating and romance scams usually begin on dating apps or social media sites. Scammers use these online platforms to create fake identities or impersonate real celebrities to get close to their targets. You may have seen this described colourfully as a catfish romance scam or a pig butchering scam.
Days, weeks or months later, once they have gained their victim’s trust, the scammer fabricates a story of needing money urgently. They may need to pay for a flight, a VISA, a hospital bill, an investment scheme or even bail money. To avoid suspicion, romance scammers usually ask for smaller amounts of money first, before building up to larger amounts.
By this time victims have invested so much time and thought into the relationship that they trust the person they are speaking to fully. More than any other type of scam, romance fraudsters manipulate the emotions of their victims, playing with their feelings and their trust. Once they have squeezed as much money as possible, they disappear without a trace.
When the lie ends victims are left devastated and feeling cheated. They have lost not only their money, but the time and emotional investment poured into the fake relationship.
There are relatively few relationships which do not begin life online these days. Online dating is the norm, but there are some simple ways to stay safe.
Check their profile and pictures for suspicious signs. Look for stock photos, overly polished images, or inconsistencies in their profile information. Romance scammers often use stolen photos, but you can find the real person by doing a reverse image search.
If the scammer claims to be a celebrity you will notice that they use a different account to the legitimate (and often verified) account. Do not believe claims that this is their private or secret account.
One of the most common excuses that romance scammers use is to claim that they are based abroad. They might say they live in another country, that they are in the armed forces, that they work on an oil rig or just that they are travelling. This gives the scammer a great excuse not to meet in person and gives them a reason to beg for money further down the line.
These days everybody has a phone or computer with a camera. There are few legitimate reasons for a person to avoid speaking via FaceTime, Zoom, Discord or Messenger. If you have been speaking for any reasonable length of time, it is incredibly suspicious if the person you are speaking with refuses to show their face. Be wary, however, as advances in face-swapping technology mean that it is easier than ever to edit video footage, even in real-time.
All romance scams are designed to steal money or assets. Whether you have been speaking for months and they directly ask for money, or they subtly mention needing money for an important reason, this is a scam.
Scammers use the emotions and feelings of their victims to steal money, often using language like “don’t you trust me?” or “I need your help”.
They may pressure and beg for help early in the relationship, or they might lay the groundwork over time. A common tactic is to claim they need money for a flight to visit.
Many scammers use online relationships to promote fake investment schemes. These schemes typically revolve around crypto investments. The scammer casually talks about how they have made money from an investment scheme and says they want to share their secret method.
Pig butchering is a horrible term used by scammers to describe the cruel way they treat their victims.
In a pig butchering romance scam, the pig (the victim) is fattened up (told to invest more money), before the butcher (the scammer) slaughters the pig (steals the money).
Once they have taken as much money as possible, they cut all contact, though some add further insult to injury by mocking and ridiculing their victims.
Celebrity romance scams use social media or dating apps to target accounts that follow a particular celebrity. Then pretend to be a hidden or private account to secretly send messages to their biggest fans.
Celebrity romance scams hope to build a relationship over time before inventing a reason to need money. This could be anything from claiming to have restricted access to their bank account or that they have lost their credit card.
The scammer – posing as the celebrity – then asks for gift cards or a bank transfer. They lie and promise that they will repay the money once they have access to their money again.
It is a common tactic for scammers to create a fake profile claiming to live or work abroad. They may pose as an oil worker, somebody in the military, or an international businessperson who is in a different country than their victim. This is sometimes referred to as a military romance scam.
The job itself is not as important as the fact that they are in a different country with a well-paying job. The scammer needs a legitimate sounding reason for not meeting in person, while giving confidence that they do not need money.
After some time getting to know each other, they fabricate emergencies, such as being stranded without funds for a flight or having their bank account frozen. They then ask or beg the victim for money.
Lovestruck man fell for 'Esther' who he met online - before being fleeced of £160,000
Source: The Mirror
Scammers easily target new victims on dating websites and social media – notably Instagram, Facebook, and even LinkedIn – due to the abundance of freely available information online.
They cast a wide net, reaching out to several people at a time to increase their chances of success. Worryingly, advances in technology and artificial intelligence have only made this easier. Scammers can create thousands of fake profiles on dating apps such as Tinder, Plenty of Fish, Grindr, and Hinge with relative ease. These profiles are then filled with stolen or AI-generated pictures.
Once they establish contact, they work to build a rapport and gain the trust of their victims before attempting to exploit them for money.
If you have suffered a romance scam, it is possible to recover your money, but you must first report the crime to the police and your bank.
You should provide as many details as possible about the online scam, including any platforms used, screenshots or transcripts of the exchanges, screenshots of any images used by the scammer, and details of any transactions made.
If your bank is unwilling to help you get your money back, you can seek help from an experienced fraud recovery firm like The Brief Claims.
At The Brief Claims we have helped thousands of people to recover their money following a romance scam. Whether you have lost money or crypto assets, we can help. Start your recovery by calling 0808 273 0900 or claiming online.
Scammers often pose as banks, the police, government, or other trusted organisations
Fraudsters offer fake investment opportunities with promises of high returns
Criminals dupe victims into paying upfront for goods or services.
Online scammers exploit emotions, tricking victims into sending money
Victims unwittingly authorise payments, deceived by fake sellers in purchase scams
Individuals or businesses pay fake invoices, inadvertently sending funds to the scammer
Our team of recovery experts are on hand to help you get your money back.
