Here’s the bottom line: Never send money or gifts to a sweetheart you haven’t met in person. How to Avoid Losing Money to a Romance Scammer Scammers do these things to pressure you into acting immediately by paying money. They’ll tell you to wire money through a company like Western Union or MoneyGram, put money on gift cards (like Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, or Steam) and give them the PIN codes, send money through a money transfer app, or transfer cryptocurrency. And they want your money in a way that makes it hard for you to get it back. All scammers, not just romance scammers, want to get your money quickly. They may even offer to help you get started in cryptocurrency investing. Once they gain your trust, they’ll ask for your help to pay medical expenses (for them or a family member), buy their ticket to visit you, pay for their visa, or help them pay fees to get them out of trouble. They might say they’re living or traveling outside the country, working on an oil rig, in the military, or working with an international organization.
Scammers say they can’t meet you in person. Romance scammers adjust their story to what they think will work in each situation. The 2021 reports also showed that cryptocurrency payments were the most costly. In 2021, people reported paying romance scammers more with gift cards than with any other payment method. That’s up about 80% from the reports the FTC got in 2020. People reported a record $547 million in losses to romance scams in 2021. Then, they make up a story and ask for money. The scammers strike up a relationship with you to build up trust, sometimes talking or chatting several times a day. Romance scammers create fake profiles on dating sites and apps or contact you through popular social media sites like Instagram or Facebook. Maybe it’s for a plane ticket to visit you. They say it’s true love, but they live far away - maybe for work or because they’re in the military. Soon they want to email, call, or message you off the platform. You meet someone special on a dating website or app. Identity Theft and Online Security Show/hide Identity Theft and Online Security menu items. Unwanted Calls, Emails, and Texts Show/hide Unwanted Calls, Emails, and Texts menu items. Money-Making Opportunities and Investments. Jobs and Making Money Show/hide Jobs and Making Money menu items. 
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