Romance & Dating Scams

What is this scam?

Romance scams involve criminals creating fake personas to develop emotional or romantic relationships with victims online. After building trust over weeks or months — sometimes posing as foreign nationals, army officers, or doctors — they fabricate emergencies to extract money. The emotional manipulation is sophisticated and the financial damage can be severe.

How it works — step by step

1. 1

   Scammer creates a convincing fake profile on dating apps, social media, or matrimonial sites — often using stolen photos of attractive, successful-looking people.

2. 2

   Relationship develops over weeks via WhatsApp or Telegram — the scammer is attentive, romantic, and builds genuine emotional connection.

3. 3

   A 'crisis' is engineered — medical emergency, customs fee for a package, plane ticket, business problem.

4. 4

   Victim sends money — scammer creates further crises to extract more. Pattern repeats.

5. 5

   Eventually, the scammer disappears — or is exposed when victim tries to meet in person.

🚩 Red flags — warning signs

• ⚠️Person you have never met in person asking for money — regardless of how much you feel you know them
• ⚠️Refuses to do a live video call — or video looks pre-recorded/looped
• ⚠️Claims to be a foreigner, military officer, or professional working abroad
• ⚠️Always has an emergency requiring money to be transferred
• ⚠️Profile photos appear in reverse image search results linked to other names

✅ What to do if you've been targeted

1. 1Never send money to someone you have not met in person
2. 2Reverse image search their photos on Google Images
3. 3Ask for a live video call where they hold up a piece of paper with today's date
4. 4Report to cybercrime.gov.in
5. 5Call iCall: 9152987821 for emotional support if you have been targeted

📋 Official resources & complaint portals

• →cybercrime.gov.in
• →1930
• →iCall: 9152987821