What are romance scams?
Romance scams occur when a fraudster creates a fake dating or social media profile and pursues a victim romantically. After the scammer builds trust with the victim, the fraudster asks for money for a plane ticket, emergency, or another pressing issue (Federal Trade Commission Consumer Advice, 2022). After sending money, the scammer will often stop communication with the scam victim.
How do romance scammers target their victims?
Romance scammers often target their victims online, such as social media sites or dating apps. The scammer will reach out to the victim and begin frequent communication, often by phone, to build trust. The scammers usually make an excuse why they cannot meet the victim in-person.
How do romance scammers receive their money?
Romance scammers often ask for nontraditional forms of payment, such wire transfers, payment applications, cryptocurrency, and gift cards (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 2025). Below is a breakdown of romance scam payments in 2022:
- 60 percent by cryptocurrency or wire transfers,
- 7 percent by gift cards, and
- 3 percent by payment apps.
How can you tell if you’re a victim of a romance scam?
There are a few signs that signal a person is engaging in a romance scam:
- No in-person contact. Romance scammers usually never meet their victims in-person or always make excuses for being unable to meet face-to-face.
- Isolation from friends and family. The fraudster will try to isolate the victim by using extortion tactics.
- Instant attraction. The romance scammer will “love bomb” the victim by giving the victim a lot of attention and claiming to have an instant connection (National Council on Aging, 2025).
- Offline communication. These scammers often ask their victims to communicate outside of the dating app or social media site on other platforms, such as WhatsApp and Telegram (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 2025).
- Constant travel. This type of fraudster usually claims to travel often for work or claims to travel internationally often.
- Money request. The scammer will eventually ask the victim for money. Often times, these scammers ask for money via a wire transfer, payment applications, cryptocurrency, or gift cards (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 2025).
How can you prevent romance scams?
- Search the person’s image online. Conduct a “Reverse Image Search” online to see if the picture is used on other profiles.
- Don’t send money. Do not send money to people you have not met in-person or have only known for a short period of time.
- Listen to concerned friends and family. If your friends or family are concerned about how quickly a relationship is moving, that is often a red flag.
What should you do if you are a victim of a romance scam?
If you are a victim of a romance scam, report it.
- Contact your bank. If you are a Community customer, call us at 773-685-5300. If you are not a customer, find your bank with the FDIC’s BankFind Suite.
- File a report with the FTC. File a report with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- Contact the FBI. Make a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
Works Cited
Federal Trade Commission Consumer Advice. (2022, August). What to Know About Romance Scams. Retrieved from Federal Trade Commission: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-about-romance-scams
National Council on Aging. (2025, February 21). Sweetheart Scams: How to Avoid Being a Victim. Retrieved from National Council on Aging: https://www.ncoa.org/article/sweetheart-scams-how-to-avoid-being-a-victim/
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (2025, 08 20). Protect Yourself Against Romance Scams. Retrieved from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement: https://www.ice.gov/about-ice/hsi/news/hsi-insider/romance-scams-protect-yourself