Multiple Faces Detected
January 22nd, 2026
There are many people that go onto dating apps and scroll on their social media platforms on a daily basis. A lot of these people are looking for love and will do whatever it takes to find that special companion. However, romance scammers plague many of these apps, looking to find their next victim to be a part of their scam. They spam their victims’ inboxes with cheesy cute quotes that make these innocent victims fall fast and hard for them. Since these victims are so happy, they usually look past the red flags that the person they are talking to might be a catfish. That’s why if you are single and are on dating apps and social media, it is important for you to know the signs of a romance scammer.
5 Signs of a Romance Scammer
Sign #1: A Romance Scammer Moves The Relationship Way Too Fast
Scammers will tell you anything you need to hear in order for you to fall in love with them quicker. They usually work off of a scammer’s playbook, which is a list of all the flirty phrases that scammers can copy and paste into their messages. With these messages, it’s easy to believe that a scammer is really interested in everything about you. However, they are saying all of these things to gain your trust faster so that they can get their hands on your money.
If someone claims to have everything in common with you, then chances are they are just trying to make you fall for them quicker. Be aware of someone who has very diverse interests, such as liking rock and roll while also liking classical music. If the relationship is going way too fast, don’t be afraid to slow it down so that you can make sure you are dating the right person.
Sign #2: A Romance Scammer Will Ask For Money
If someone asks you for money or gift cards for any reason, then chances are they’re a scammer. Usually, people don’t ask someone they just met online to help them out financially if they are really struggling. Most likely, they have friends or family members who they are close to that will help them out when things get too rough.
Scammers are the only people that will ask for money on the Internet. They will come up with any excuse they can to get their hands on your hard-earned money. While some excuses are just as innocent as needing some food for the weeks, we have also seen emergency excuses that range from hospital bills, needing to go back home, needing a cell phone, or needing help with their business. No matter what the excuse is, never send anyone that you met on the Internet money. If you have given someone money, report it to the FTC.
Sign #3: Romance Scammers Refuse to Video Chat or Meet You in Person
Romance scammers don’t want you to see that their face doesn’t match the photo you’re used to. They want you to keep thinking that the person in the photo is the person talking to you when that isn’t the case. Because of this, they will come up with every lie and excuse that they can as to why they can’t video chat with you or meet you in person.
The excuses that romance scammers come up with include a slow signal, no Wi-Fi, no money to go fly out to see you, their job won’t let them see you, and more. If you continue to bug them about wanting to video chat with them, chances are they will come up with a way to fake a video chat. However, it’s easy to tell that it’s fake since it will be very laggy and their voice won’t match their lip movements.
Sign #4: Romance Scammers Want to Talk to You Off the Dating Site Quickly
Many romance scammers don’t want their victims to report their fake dating profiles on dating sites. They also don’t want their social media profiles to be reported, since they use those profiles to look for more victims. Therefore, they lure their victims onto other apps, such as WhatsApp, Kik, or Google Hangouts, and message them there. They usually claim that their signal is too slow or that they don’t use social media often, so they have to move the conversation onto another app.
To avoid this scam, you can refuse to move the conversation onto another app until you get to know that person more. If they give up or they guilt you into going on another app, then that means they are most likely a scammer. If they agree and continue to talk to you on the app, then they might be who they say they are.
Sign #5: Romance Scammers Claim They Have An Overseas Job
Most romance scammers claim to be in the military or work on an oil rig. These careers give them an excuse as to why they can’t see their victims as often since they are deployed and live overseas. They also claim that due to their career choices, they can’t video chat them due to not having any signal where they are stationed.
When they need money, they often use these careers as an excuse, claiming that they need money to eat, get sent home, or pay for a weapon. If someone you are talking to claims that their career choice is the reason for not video chatting with you, not seeing you, or for needing money, then they are most likely a romance scammer.
Social Catfish is Here to Help You!
At Social Catfish, we want to help you verify the identities of those who might seem suspicious to you. If you have their name, email address, phone number, social media username, or image, you can reverse search and see who the suspected person was that you’ve been in contact with after reading these signs of a romance scammer.
