Romance scam: how it works, warning signs and what to do

Social engineering · alto

The scammer creates an attractive profile on a dating app or social network, usually with a job that explains their absence: soldier on deployment, doctor with an aid group, oil rig engineer, businessperson abroad. They chat daily and declare love quickly.

Then emergencies appear: a customs fee to send a gift, airfare to visit, a hospital bill, a banking problem. Sometimes they ask the victim to receive and forward money, unknowingly turning them into a money mule. The crypto-investment variant is pig butchering.

The FBI IC3 received 23,159 romance or confidence fraud complaints in 2025, with US$ 929.3 million in US losses.

Sinais / Signs

Declarations of love very early, without ever meeting
Refusal of, or constant glitches in, video calls
Emergency stories that always end in a request for money
Requests to receive and forward money or packages
Profile photos that appear under other names in reverse image search

Prevenção / Prevention

Never send money to someone you have not met in person
Reverse-search photos and look up the name and story
Talk about the relationship with friends or family
Be wary of anyone who wants to leave the app quickly for private chat
Do not share bank details, documents or intimate photos

O que fazer / What to do

Stop transfers and contact
Keep chats, profiles and receipts
Report the profile on the platform and notify your bank
Report to IC3 and the FTC (US) or file a police report (Brazil)
Seek emotional support: shame is common, but the criminal is to blame

FAQ

They never asked for money, just for me to receive a transfer. Is that a problem?

Yes. Receiving and forwarding money can make you a money-laundering mule, with legal consequences.

How do I tell it apart from a real long-distance relationship?

A real person takes video calls, agrees to meet and does not turn the relationship into a series of financial requests.

FBI IC3 - Internet Crime Complaint Center · FTC - ReportFraud · FBI IC3 2025 Internet Crime Report (PDF) · Consumidor.gov.br