Swipe left on romance scams What are romance scams? Romance scams are when fraudsters create a fake online identity to gain romantic interest and build trust with a victim. They sometimes even pretend to be celebrities or public figures to draw people in. The scammer quickly creates the illusion of an intimate relationship to manipulate the victim into sending them money or sensitive financial information. They might do this through intense messaging (or 'love bombing'), and making false promises. Romance scams differ from other scams in that the fraudsters often talk to their victims for weeks or even months before asking for money or information. These types of scams happen most commonly on dating sites or social media platforms.

Swipe left on romance scams 7 red flags to look for: 1. The 'wrong number' hook: 'Sent by mistake' messages are often calculated openings designed to spark a seemingly organic connection. 2. Emotional grooming: scammers move fast, using 'love bombing' and promises of a shared future to build intense trust and exploit a desire for companionship. 3. Script of secrecy: scammers rely on isolation to keep their stories alive. They provide scripts to use with friends, family, and even your bank's customer support, coaching you on exactly how to work around security questions. 4. The elaborate excuse: they'll often avoid meeting in person. For example, they might say they work in remote or high-stakes environments such as oil rigs, military, or international modelling. 5. Al deception: seeing is no longer believing. Real-time video filters and voice cloning allows scammers to maintain their persona during calls. 6. The ask: it can take months to establish trust, but once they have, the scammer fabricates an urgent financial crisis (such as a medical emergency, travel expenses to meet, legal fees, or an investment opportunity). 7. Payment method: they usually request money via methods that are hard to trace, such as cryptocurrency, wire transfers, or gift cards.