Scams going around · Social media and messaging apps
Romance scam
Pretends to be a new love interest you met online. Someone you meet on a dating site, app or social media writes to you often. They say it's true love. But they always have a reason they can't meet you in person. Then they ask you for money, or offer to help you invest in cryptocurrency (a kind of digital money).
An example of what it can look like
Not a real message: the details are made up.
James, a match on a dating app
Good morning, my love. I dream of the day we finally meet. My work on the oil rig ends soon, but my debit card is frozen out here and I can't buy my ticket home to you. Could you put money on gift cards and send me the numbers on the back? I will pay you back the day I land. Please hurry, sweetheart.
How to tell
- They can't meet you in person. They may say they're overseas, in the military or working on an oil rig, or they make plans and always cancel.
- They soon want to move off the site or app where you met. They ask to email, call, text or chat on another messaging app instead.
- Once they have your trust, they ask for money. It may be for a medical bill, a ticket to visit you, a visa, or fees to get out of trouble.
- They tell you to pay in ways that are hard to undo. They may ask for a wire transfer or gift card numbers. Or they want a payment app (an app for sending money from your phone) or cryptocurrency (digital money).
- They offer to help you get started investing in cryptocurrency.
What to do
- Never send money or gifts to someone you haven't met in person.
- Stop all contact with them right away.
- Talk to a friend or family member you trust. Ask if they're worried, too.
- Search the web for their job plus the word "scammer," for example "oil rig scammer." See if other people have posted similar stories.
If you already tapped, paid, called or replied
- If you paid by card or from your bank account, call your bank or card company right away. Tell them you paid a scammer. Ask them to reverse the payment and refund your money.
- If you paid with gift cards, call the company that issued the card. Use the number on the back of the card. Tell them a scammer tricked you, and ask for a refund. Keep the card and the receipt if you have them.
- If you used a payment app (an app for sending money from your phone), report it to the app company right away. Do the same if you wired money through a company like Western Union or MoneyGram. Ask them to refund your money.
- If you paid with cryptocurrency (digital money), contact the company or ATM operator you used right away. Tell them it was a fraud, and ask them to refund your money.
- Don't send any more money, even if they promise to pay you back. If you think someone is using your name or personal details, report it at IdentityTheft.gov.
How to check for real
Do a reverse image search of their profile picture. This is a search that shows where else that photo appears online. If the photo is tied to another name, or to details that don't match, those are signs of a scam. If the search finds nothing, that does not prove they are real. Never send money or gifts to someone you haven't met in person.
Where to report it
- ReportFraud.ftc.gov, the Federal Trade Commission's reporting site
- The dating site, app or social media site where you met them
- If you were scammed, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. For help filing, call the Elder Fraud Hotline at (833) 372-8311, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time.
Free guides that go with this
Check a message you got, free · Check a link
Where this comes from
Written from these official warnings, checked 2026-09-25. Lantern is not part of any organization named on this page.