Dating App Scams (2026): 12 Red Flags and What to Do If You’ve Been Scammed

How big is the problem?

Bigger than most people think. According to FTC data, Americans reported losing $1.16 billion to romance scams in just the first nine months of 2025. That came from 55,604 reports, 22% more than the same period of 2024. In the third quarter of 2025, the median loss was $2,218.

And those are only the people who reported it. Plenty of people never do, because they're embarrassed.

If it's happened to you, you're far from alone, and it doesn't mean you're stupid. These scams are run by organized groups who do this full-time.

How a dating app scam usually works?

Most romance scams follow the same pattern:

1. The match. A great-looking profile, often with a job that explains why they travel or can't meet: military, oil rig, doctor overseas, engineer on a contract abroad.
2. The move. Within a day or two, they ask to switch to WhatsApp, Telegram or text. That gets you away from the app's scam filters and reporting tools.
3. The bond. Lots of attention, fast. Daily messages, “good morning” texts, talk of a future together. This can go on for weeks or months.
4. The excuse. Every plan to meet or video call falls through: bad connection, broken camera, last-minute work trip.
5. The ask. A sudden emergency, a fee, a ticket to visit you, or an “amazing” investment they want to share. Small at first, then bigger.
6. The disappearing act. Once you stop paying, they vanish, or they come back with a new story.

The most common dating app scams

They say they're a soldier deployed overseas, which explains why they can't meet or video call.

Eventually they need money for leave papers, a flight home, a “care package” fee or to get their belongings shipped.

Real service members don't need you to pay for any of that.

This one starts as romance and turns into finance. Your match mentions they've done really well trading crypto or gold, then offers to show you how.

You're sent to a slick app or website that shows your “profits” growing, until you try to withdraw and get hit with fees, taxes or a frozen account.

The FTC found that about 18% of romance scam reports in 2022 involved an investment pitch like this.

They, or someone close to them, are suddenly sick, hurt, stuck at an airport or in jail. They need money now, and they're so embarrassed to ask.

The FTC found this was the most common lie in 2022 romance scam reports, at about 24%. Sad stories are usually scam stories.

The chat turns sexual fast and they send explicit photos, then ask for yours. Once you send them, they threaten to share them with your family, friends or employer unless you pay.

Sometimes they never needed your photos at all and just claim to have them. Don't pay. Paying almost always leads to more demands.

Common on hookup apps and ad boards like Doublelist. A match says they need you to “verify you're real” or get a “safety ID” before meeting, and sends a link to another site.

That site takes your card details and signs you up for expensive subscriptions. No real person needs you to verify on a third-party site.

They ask you to read back a code that's just been texted to you, “to prove you're not a bot.” That code is actually for your account on another service, like your email or a phone number they want to set up in your name. Never share a code sent to your phone.

The “sugar daddy” promises a weekly allowance, then asks you to pay a small fee first to “unlock” the payment or prove you're serious. Or they send a check or a transfer, ask you to send part of it back, and the original payment bounces later. Real money never needs you to pay to receive it.

They're desperate to meet you, but need help paying for a flight, a visa or a passport. Once you pay, something else goes wrong and they need more.

A match who replies instantly, sounds a bit off, and quickly sends you a link to their “private page”, a cam site or a paid app. That's a bot or a marketer, not a person who's into you.

Some people sell invites or promise guaranteed approval for exclusive apps like Raya. Applying to Raya is free, and nobody outside the company can promise you get in. Anyone charging for access is scamming you.

Scammers increasingly use AI-generated photos that won't show up in a reverse image search, because they've never been posted anywhere else.

Look for unusual details such as mismatched earrings, distorted backgrounds or inconsistent facial features.

However, AI-generated images can look completely realistic, so visual clues alone aren't enough to identify a fake dating profile. AI companion apps have their own scams too.

See our guide to AI girlfriend scams.

This one targets people who've already been scammed. Someone contacts you claiming to be a lawyer, investigator or “crypto recovery” expert who can get your money back, for an upfront fee. They can't. Government agencies don't charge to help you, and real recovery firms don't cold-message victims.

How to spot a fake dating profile?

Before you get too invested, run through these checks:

What to do if you've been scammed

If you've already sent money, move fast. The sooner you act, the better your chance of stopping a payment.

If someone is threatening to share your photos

Don't pay, and stop replying. Save the messages and their profile, report the account to the app and the platform they're threatening to post on, and report it to the FBI's IC3.

Paying rarely makes it stop, and it often leads to bigger demands.

Dating app scam FAQs

The bottom line

Dating app scams are common, costly and run by people who are very good at what they do. But they nearly all hit the same wall: they need your money, and they can't meet you.

Hold on to two rules and you'll avoid almost all of them.

Never send money to someone you haven't met, and don't trust anyone who won't video call. If it's already happened, act fast, report it, and be kind to yourself. You were targeted by professionals.