romance scams
Fake love swindles
Romance scams are frauds in which criminals create fake online identities to cultivate romantic relationships with victims, then manipulate them into sending money.
The scammer builds trust over weeks or months through messaging apps or dating sites before inventing emergencies—medical bills, travel costs, investment opportunities—that require funds.
Victims often lose substantial savings: She lost her retirement to a romance scam.
- con artistProfessional fraud perpetrator
- catfishBarbeled freshwater bottom-feeder
- scammerOne who defrauds others
- fraudsterCriminal deceiver for gain
- deceptionIntentional misleading of others
fake profiles · sob story · trust · swindle · red flags · too good to be true · credit card fraud · manipulation · phishing · wire transfer · bank account · love · lonely hearts · impersonation · online dating · social media · grooming · sweetheart
- fraudfraud, swindle, con, deceive, cheat
- cyberscamsphishing, online scams, scams, email spoofing, spear phishing
- romance scamscatfishing, love bombing, fake profile, fake profiles, stolen photos
- online datingdating apps, dating profile, dating profiles, online dating, OkCupid
- cyber threatsmalware, phishing, hacking, virus, ransomware
- cybercrimehacking, phishing, malware, ransomware, data breach
romance scamsinvestment fraud
Deceptive theft via finances
identity theft · phishing scams · Ponzi schemes · insurance fraud · telemarketing fraud
romantic, scam, romance, unromantic, romancing, romanticize, romanticism, romanced, bromance