Protect Yourself Against Romance Scams

When we hear about romance scams, we often imagine an older person who’s not well-versed in computers and the internet falling for an obvious trick. However, with advancements in technology and scammers becoming more cunning, romance scams are now much more sophisticated.

These scams don’t just target older Australians, but anyone seeking connection. It leaves people financially and emotionally distressed. To avoid falling victim to such a scam, here’s what you need to know: 

What is a romance scam? 

Also known as a dating scam, a relationship scam, and a love scam. This scam uses the guise of a building relationship, whether romantic or platonic, to gain your trust and eventually swindle you out of your hard-earned cash. 

Romance scams can start on dating websites or apps, but they could also begin on social media platforms. The way it works is this: a scammer will pose as someone interested in dating or being friends with a potential victim. They could use fake images and videos to make their profiles look legitimate. Over time, they try to gain their victim’s trust through regular messages. 

After the relationship has been established, the scammer will try to get their victim to send money to them. The scammer could say they’re in dire need of funds due to an emergency. They could tell the victim to invest in cryptocurrency or get rich schemes. Or they could ask the victim to send money on their behalf, or to send them money to pay for their travel to ‘meet' their victim..

How to spot a romance scam 

The best way to steer clear of romance scams is by knowing the warning signs. Here are red flags you need to be aware of: 

• The person you met online claims to have very strong feelings for you, even though you’ve only been in contact for a few weeks or even days. 
• You are only allowed to contact them using an encrypted chat or email. 
• They tell you to keep your relationship with them a secret from your friends and family. 
• Their online profile doesn’t match what they tell about themselves. 
• Their online profile is new, has very little information about them, and doesn’t have a lot of pictures, posts, or friends/followers. 
• Their photos look too professional (could have been taken from stock images or other legitimate profiles) or too blurry (could have been edited). 
• They avoid meeting in person, video calls or phone calls. If they do agree to a phone call, it’s usually very short. 
• Once an emotional connection has been established, they ask for money or encourage you to invest in an investment or cryptocurrency scheme. 
• If you refuse to send money, they will persistently ask with increasingly desperate messages. And if you do send money, they ask for even more.  

Always be alert when corresponding with someone you don’t know and keep these tell-tale signs in mind. If you think someone you know might be falling for a romance scam, warn them immediately. 

Protecting yourself from romance scams 

The best way to keep yourself safe from romance scams is by being cautious when talking to strangers online. Here are a few things to keep in mind to protect yourself from these scams: 

Stop, think, and verify 

If you hit it off with someone online and they suddenly ask for money, always stop and consider if this is a scam. Check to see if they’ve been listed on romance scam reporting sites or are related in any way to scams. If they send you a photo of themselves, do a reverse image search to make sure it’s actually them. Always verify their identity to make sure they are who they say they are. 

Don’t send money to strangers 

Someone asking you for money over the internet is likely to be a scammer. Never send financial information such as bank details, credit card or debit card numbers, or sensitive personal information, regardless of how long you’ve been in correspondence. If someone you met online asks you to reveal said information, it’s best to cut contact right away. 

Another way scammers try to get money from their victims is through investment or crypto scams. Always be wary of someone trying to get you to invest in an opportunity that sounds too good to be true, because often it is. 

Most importantly, do not send money for someone else, as this may count as money laundering and is a serious criminal offence. 

Be cautious about sending personal information 

This includes your real name, hobbies, your place of employment, photos or videos of yourself and the like. These details about yourself may seem innocuous, but they can be used to steal your identity. 

Report a scammer 

If you think you’re being scammed, report the person right away on the social media or messaging platform you’re using. You should also report them to the Australian Government’s Report Cyber website. 

To learn more about how to avoid scams, check out helpful articles on our security hub.