Romance scam warning signs
By the StoryCheck team · 7 min read · Published
The surest romance scam sign is a request for money, however it is framed, from someone you have never met in person. In the UK the pattern is well documented: affection that races ahead, a quick move from the dating app to a private chat, endless reasons not to video call, then a crisis or an investment opportunity. UK Finance recorded £39.2 million lost to romance scams in 2025, the highest total it has ever reported.
What are the warning signs of a romance scam?
| Sign | Why it matters | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Moves the chat off the dating app within days | On the app the profile can be reported and removed | Keep talking on the app until you have met |
| Never manages a video call | The photos may belong to someone else | Ask early and notice every excuse |
| Affection far ahead of the time you have known each other | Emotional investment is what makes the later request work | Judge the pace, not the words |
| Asks you to keep the relationship to yourself | Report Fraud warns that fraudsters cut victims off from family and friends | Talk to a friend or relative about them |
| A crisis that needs money | UK Finance lists visa problems, health issues and flight tickets as typical stories | Send nothing, however urgent |
| Offers to teach you crypto or trading | The investment version, sometimes called pig butchering | Never invest through a platform they chose |
| Asks you to receive money and pass it on | That makes you a money mule, which is a crime | Refuse and tell your bank |
| Photos turn up elsewhere online | Taken from somebody else's profile | Reverse image search every photo |
The numbers are still climbing. UK Finance's Annual Fraud Report 2026 counted 6,335 romance scam cases in 2025, up 22% on the year, and found victims made 9.7 payments on average, the most of any scam type, because criminals build trust and start small.
How does the investment version work?
This version does not ask for money at first; it offers to make you some. (Report Fraud's guidance notes that romance fraud is sometimes called pig butchering.) Your new partner has done well from crypto or trading and shows you a platform where your balance appears to grow. The profits are only numbers on a screen, and the pressure is always to put more in. Report Fraud's 2025/26 assessment found that investment fraud made up the largest share of AI-enabled fraud reports, typically a platform showing apparent profits followed by encouragement to invest further funds.
Anyone who asks you to receive money into your account and send it on is using you as a money mule. Don't Be Fooled, the campaign run by UK Finance and the fraud prevention service Cifas, warns that this is money laundering and a crime, even when you were tricked into it.
Which checks can you do yourself?
Dating sits behind a large share of number checks in the UK: between July and September 2026, 30% of people in the UK who looked up a number on StoryCheck said dating app activity was what they most wanted to know about. These are the checks that genuinely help.
- 1
Search their photos
Report Fraud recommends running profile pictures through Google image search or TinEye. Our reverse image search looks for the same photo and edited copies of it, with no facial recognition.
- 2
Ask for a live video call
A real person can manage a few minutes on camera within the first weeks. A run of broken cameras and bad signal is an answer in itself.
- 3
Check what they have told you
Search the name, the employer and the places they mention. A story that shifts over time is a signal.
- 4
Check the number and the email address
A number lookup shows whether their number is a real UK mobile or a virtual or VoIP line, whether it is active on WhatsApp with a visible profile photo, and any public profiles linked to it. An email lookup shows linked accounts, breach history and whether the address looks new or disposable. Results are possible matches, not proof, and the person is never notified.
- 5
Get a second opinion
Report Fraud recommends talking to friends or family before you send money to anyone you have only met online.
No tool can search inside Hinge, Tinder, Bumble or any other dating app, or read anyone's messages. What can be checked are public traces connected to a number or email address. For a fuller routine, see our guide to checking whether someone is real, and before meeting anyone, what to check before a first date.
What should you do if you have already sent money?
- Stop paying, whatever you are told about release fees, taxes or a final payment.
- Call your bank on 159 or the number on your card. UK Finance says 67% of romance scam losses were returned to victims in 2025, and the reimbursement rules cover bank transfers between UK accounts made since 7 October 2024.
- Report the profile to the dating app and the chat to the messaging app.
- Report it to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040, or to Police Scotland on 101.
- Keep everything: messages, photos, usernames, bank details and payment records.
- Hang up on anyone who later offers to recover your money for a fee; Report Fraud warns this is a second scam.
Report Fraud is clear that romance fraud is never the victim's fault, and notes that for almost a third of those targeted it goes on for more than a year. In England and Wales, Victim Support offers free, confidential help on 0808 168 9111.
What if they threaten to share intimate images?
Some romance scams end in blackmail: a demand for money after intimate photos were shared, or a fake image made to look like you. Report Fraud's advice is to stop all contact and block the person, not to pay (paying does not guarantee the threats stop, and offenders usually ask for more), to keep the evidence rather than delete it, and to report it to the police on 101, or 999 if you are at immediate risk. StopNCII can help stop intimate images being shared online, and the Revenge Porn Helpline supports adults in the UK. Anyone under 18 can use Report Remove from Childline and the Internet Watch Foundation.
Common questions
How can I tell if someone I met online is a romance scammer?
Watch for a quick move off the dating app, affection that races ahead, excuses to avoid video calls and, above all, any request for money, gift cards or crypto. One sign alone proves nothing; several together, with a money request, is the pattern Report Fraud and UK banks warn about.
Can I check if someone is really who they say they are?
Partly. Reverse image search their photos, insist on a live video call and check the details they give you. A number or email lookup adds the line type, linked public profiles and signs that an address is new, but it cannot see inside dating apps or read messages.
Can I get my money back after a romance scam?
Often, if you paid by bank transfer. UK Finance says 67% of romance scam losses were returned to victims in 2025, and the reimbursement rules in force since 7 October 2024 cover claims up to £85,000. Contact your bank as quickly as you can.
Where do I report a romance scam in the UK?
Tell your bank first if money has gone, then report it to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040 if you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, or to Police Scotland on 101. Report the profile to the dating app as well.
Can StoryCheck tell me if someone is on dating apps?
No. No tool can search inside dating apps, and StoryCheck does not claim to. It checks public traces linked to a number or email address, such as a possible name, the line type, a visible WhatsApp profile photo and openly linked profiles, and the person is never notified.
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