Romance scammers — the complete guide to never falling into the trap.

1. 01

   Love bombing

   Declarations of love within 2-3 days, premature future plans, constant messaging. Designed to create emotional dependency fast.

   Critical signal
2. 02

   Refuses video calls

   Excuses pile up: "camera broken", "weak connection", "work forbids it". Test: propose a call in 30 minutes — a scammer can't fake a deepfake on demand.

   Critical signal
3. 03

   Asks for money

   Medical emergency, plane ticket, banking issue, customs fees. Always urgent, always discreet methods (Western Union, crypto, gift cards).

   Critical signal
4. 04

   AI-generated photos

   Anomalous hands, oddly perfect teeth, asymmetric jewellery, inconsistent backgrounds, unnaturally smooth skin. Verify with reverse-image search and AI detectors.

   Critical signal
5. 05

   Manufactured emergencies

   Accident, hospitalisation, banking lockout, child in danger. Pressure to short-circuit your reasoning. Rule: never send money under urgency.

   Critical signal
6. 06

   Repeated inconsistencies

   A single scammer juggles 50-200 victims. They mix up names, forget your stories. Note details from day one — look for contradictions.

   Strong signal
7. 07

   Quick exit from the platform

   Insists on moving to WhatsApp, Telegram or email early. Real reason: dating platforms moderate suspicious profiles aggressively.

   Strong signal
8. 08

   Permanent victimhood

   Always a tragic backstory: recent widower, sick child, betrayed by ex, dangerous mission. Engineered to activate empathy and shut down caution.

   Strong signal
9. 09

   Guilt-trips when you doubt

   "You don't trust me?", "If you really loved me…". Legitimate doubt turned against you — a textbook control mechanism.

   Strong signal
10. 10

    "Exclusive" investment opportunity

    Reserved for a chosen few. Always crypto, trading or NFTs. Platform not registered with regulators. Gains shown but withdrawals blocked.

    Strong signal
11. 11

    Suspicious geography

    Always "on a mission", "abroad", "on an oil rig". Never in your city. Makes physical meeting impossible — and verification difficult.

    Moderate signal
12. 12

    Scripted or off French/English

    Frozen expressions, copy-paste phrasing identical to other testimonies. Paste a suspicious message into Google — if other victims reported it, confirmed.

    Moderate signal
13. 13

    Falsified documents sent unprompted

    ID with typos, wrong dates, inconsistent fonts. Sent to "prove" identity before any request — preparation of the manipulation.

    Moderate signal
14. 14

    Meeting never happens

    "Soon", "once the mission is over", "as soon as I sort this out". The real-life meeting always pushed back.

    Moderate signal
15. 15

    Story too perfect

    Handsome, widowed or divorced, well-travelled, attentive father, financially stable but needing one-time help. Calibrated to match your expectations exactly.

    Moderate signal

Download the full guide (PDF)

1. 1

   Cut all contact immediately

   Block on all platforms. Don't try to "recover the money" by continuing the conversation — that's exactly what they expect.

2. 2

   Preserve all evidence

   Screenshots of conversations, emails, phone numbers, bank details or wallet addresses, statements.

3. 3

   File a complaint

   In France: Plateforme Thésée (online) or any police station. In other countries: your local authority + Action Fraud (UK), IC3 (US), Europol cybercrime portal.

   Plateforme Thésée (FR)
4. 4

   Report to authorities

   France: Pharos. UK: Action Fraud. US: FTC and IC3. Report the profile and the fraudulent platforms used.

   IC3 (US FBI)
5. 5

   Contact your bank

   Banks have a legal duty of vigilance. If a breach is proven, you may claim damages. Time limits apply — act fast.

6. 6

   Call victim support

   France: 116 006. UK: Victim Support 08 08 16 89 111. US: AARP Fraud Watch helpline. Confidential, free.

7. 7

   Use Cybermalveillance

   Personalised diagnosis, referral to specialised providers, recovery resources.

   cybermalveillance.gouv.fr
8. 8

   Talk about it

   Shame is a scammer's best ally. These scams target intelligent people — it's professional manipulation, not naivety.