Looking for love online? Protect yourself from scammers

23 January 2025

Ahead of Valentine's Day, consumer protection agencies nationwide are advising people looking for love to recognise the signs of a romance or dating scam.

While romances that start on dating apps, social media and other digital channels result in happy relationships for many, there are also serious risks involved when seeking love online.

Romance scammers target people by creating fake online identities, with a profile designed to lure people looking for a relationship. Once you're involved, they use a range of tactics to build your trust, with the ultimate goal of using your vulnerability to steal your money.

The cost of romance scams

Financial losses to romance scams, reported to the federal scam data collection agency Scamwatch, nearly halved between 2022 and last year – from about $40 million to $20 million (to November). The number of reports also declined, from around 3,700 to 2,900.

Nonetheless, Australians of all ages remain vulnerable to romance scammers.

In 2024, people aged 55 and over reported losing more than $12 million. That's well over half the national total. But it's not just older people who are targeted, with Australians aged 25 to 54 making more than 1,000 reports and losing more than $5.5 million to romance scams.

Romance scammers are continuing to the way they target people, adapting tactics and using a wider range of channels including gaming apps and social media.

Watch out for romance scam red flags

Learning how to spot the red flags can help you avoid losing your money as well as your heart.

When a romance scammer initially contacts you, they'll often sound like an ideal match. They might have an appealing profile and claim to have similar interests or experiences to you.

Scammers may use a fake name or steal the identity of real people to create their online profile. They'll exchange messages, photos or videos with you: they're likely to be stolen, or even AI-generated.

If you do get involved with someone you've met online, be aware of common warning signs to look out for:

  • The online relationship moves fast, and your love interest expresses strong feelings early on.
  • They quickly try to move your chat from a social media platform or online to free messaging platforms like WhatsApp, WeChat, Signal, Telegram or Line.
  • It's likely they'll face some sort of 'emergency' and ask you to transfer money to help. They may also make other financial requests, such as:
    • asking you to help pay for tickets to come and meet you
    • asking you to send money through a third party, such as a lawyer or accountant
    • proposing that you invest in ‘easy money’ schemes, such as cryptocurrency.
  • Instead of sharing your relationship, they'll want you to keep things secret. They might try to cut you off from family and friends.
  • There's always some reason they can't meet in person or live video chat: they'll make excuses like they're overseas, somewhere remote or their technology isn't working.

Protect yourself: steps you can take

Thoroughly researching your prospective partner and being careful with information you share about yourself will help protect you from romance scammers. You should:

  • review their LinkedIn or Facebook profiles, including checking friends and followers.
  • reverse search their profile pictures, or photos they have shared. You can do this on Google's search page by clicking on the "search by image" icon in the search bar.
  • be mindful of your own profile across social media channels, particularly personal information you share. Scammers may use details to help target you.
  • never share personal identification documents such as your driver's licence, passport, banking or credit card details.
  • be very wary of sharing explicit or intimate images with someone you have only ever met online, even over apps that do not store images. Scammers may find a way of recording these images and using them to their advantage later.
  • insist on meeting in person or via live video chat when you first connect.

What to do if you've been scammed

People who have been through a romance scam can experience embarrassment, disbelief, shock and trauma. But it's important to understand that you're not alone, that there are actions you can take, there's help available, and reporting your experience can help others.

There are steps you can follow if you realise you have been scammed or if you suspect the person you are talking to is a scammer:

  • If you've already shared your bank account details, or transferred money, contact your bank or financial institution immediately.
  • Many victims of romance scams are also at risk of fraud or identify theft. This can include scammers setting up new mobile phone accounts in your name or accessing your superannuation account. Contact the police if you think you may be at risk.
  • If you think a friend or family member may be the victim of a romance scam, talk to them about the warning signs, and share tips on staying safe. For more, see consumeraffairs.nt.gov.au/for-consumers/scams/romance-scams
  • You can make a report to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam
    or call NT Consumer Affairs on 1800 019 319.
  • For confidential and free advice, or if you need to talk to someone, contact: