Online Dating and The Office of the

Romance Scams Minnesota Attorney General

helping people afford their lives and live with dignity and respect

A recent study indicates that 15 percent of American adults The Phony Profile
use online dating websites or mobile applications. As the
Romance scammers often create a phony profile. The
number of people looking to meet new people online grows,
scammer may use photos from magazines and portray
so does the opportunity for fraud.
himself or herself as talented and successful. Fake
Some scam artists use bogus profiles to con the people they profiles may have discrepancies or inconsistencies, like
meet out of hundreds or thousands of dollars. Criminals disproportionate height and weight, or be suspiciously
who perpetrate online dating and romance scams use vague. Romance scammers often claim to be a U.S. citizen
emotional appeals to quickly gain their victims’ trust and working or serving abroad, or give a similar excuse to
then, just as quickly, exploit it. This leaves many victims explain their inability to meet in person.
not only embarrassed but also in financial distress. It is
important for online users to be on the look‑out for online Gaining Victims’ Trust
dating and romance scams. It can happen like this: Online dating and romance scams often begin like any
other online relationship: interested individuals exchange
basic information, like their line of work, their city, and
“Maria” signed up for an online dating service and
their hobbies and interests. Scammers may then ask their
was contacted by “Andrew,” who claimed to be an
victims to leave the dating site and use personal email
American overseas on business in Australia. Maria
or instant messaging (IM). Con artists may express their
and Andrew seemed to hit it off and began planning
“love” quickly and effusively, find similarities with the victim,
a road trip for that summer when Andrew would
and claim the online match was destiny.
come back to the U.S. Andrew sent Maria a check
for $5,000 to cover the cost of their trip, but then This is all a build-up for the scam artist’s real goal: conning
suddenly asked her to send $4,500 back to him a victim out of money. Once the victim becomes attached,
because he needed money for rent after being laid the scammer looks for ways to dupe the person into
off from his job. Maria deposited the check and sending money, which can happen in two basic ways. In the
sent the money, but was soon contacted by her first scenario, the scammer may indirectly ask for money.
bank, which told her the check was bad and she had For instance, some romance scammers express concern
to repay the $4,500. On top of losing her money, the about their financial situation or ability to visit the victim
fake “Andrew” disappeared, and Maria never heard in the hopes that a person will offer to send funds. In the
from him again. second instance, the scammer asks for money directly. A
scammer may beg for hundreds or thousands of dollars,
claiming a family member became suddenly ill, he or she
was robbed, or the person is having difficulty obtaining
travel documents after spending all his or her money on a
plane ticket to visit you. A victim may even get a call from
an accomplice who claims to be a lawyer or doctor to lend
credibility to the tale.

Minnesota Attorney General’s Office • 445 Minnesota Street, Suite 1400, St. Paul, MN 55101
Twin Cities Calling Area: (651) 296-3353 • Outside the Twin Cities: (800) 657-3787 • Minnesota Relay: (800) 627-3529
www.ag.state.mn.us
Be wary of sending money to someone you have never met • Wiring money is the same as sending cash—once
in person, especially via a wire transfer service, like Western the money is sent, it is generally lost for good.
Union or MoneyGram, or a prepaid money card, like Green
• If an online prospect claims to be a United States
Dot. Once a person wires money to a foreign country, the
citizen living or working in another country and asks
money is generally unrecoverable.
you for help or money, refer the prospect to the local
U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If you want to send
Protecting Yourself
money, consider a U.S. Department of State Office
Online dating and romance scams are sophisticated of Overseas Citizens Services (OCS) Trust. An OCS
operations that are typically conducted by criminal gangs. Trust works like a wire transfer, but the embassy or
Con artists share information about victims and may target consulate holds the money until the recipient picks
victims more than once. Some scammers induce victims to it up—and provides proof of U.S. citizenship.
share personal information or images and then threaten to
post or distribute them to the friends, family members, and • As a final effort, romance scammers may claim to
employers if the victim refuses to pay. still be “in love” when they are found out by their
victims. Don’t fall for it. Report scammers to the
The Attorney General’s Office encourages people to dating website so others won’t be drawn in.
exercise an appropriate level of caution when looking for a
relationship online and to be careful about sharing personal Taking Action
information and photos with people they have never met.
If you are a victim of an online dating or romance scam,
The following are some tips on how to protect yourself from
take the following steps:
being scammed and what to do if you become a victim:
• Cease all contact and block phone numbers, IM
• Be careful about sharing sensitive personal or
accounts, and email addresses.
financial information with someone you have not
met in person. • Keep copies of all communications.

• Stay on the dating site—romance scammers ask their • Report the matter to the dating website.
victims to use personal email or instant messaging
to keep their schemes under law enforcement’s • Report the matter to your local police.
radar.
• Report the matter to the FBI’s Internet Crime
• When using an online dating site, use a separate Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
username and different email account to protect
• Report the matter to the Federal Trade Commission
your privacy.
as follows:
• Be wary of “coincidental” similarities as well as
Federal Trade Commission
inconsistencies in an individual’s story. If things don’t
Consumer Response Center
add up, press for details, or ask a friend or family
600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
member for their perspective. Romance scammers
Washington, DC 20580
know that emotions can skew judgment and count
(877) 382-4357
on affection and attention to thwart their victims’
TTY: (866) 653-4261
judgment.
www.consumer.ftc.gov

This document is available in alternative formats to individuals with disabilities by calling

(651) 296-3353 (Twin Cities Calling Area), (800) 657-3787 (Outside the Twin Cities), or through the Minnesota Relay Service at (800) 627-3529.
The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office values diversity and is an equal opportunity employer.