Here’s how they work:

You meet someone special on a dating website. Soon he wants to move off the dating site to email or phone calls. He tells you he loves you, but he lives far away — maybe for business, or because he’s in the military. 

Then he asks for money. He might say it’s for a plane ticket to visit you. Or emergency surgery. Or something else urgent. 

Scammers, both male and female, make fake dating profiles, sometimes using photos of other people — even stolen pictures of real military personnel. They build relationships — some even fake wedding plans — before they disappear with your money. 

Here’s what you can do:

1. Stop. Don’t send money. Never wire money, put money on a prepaid debit card, or send cash to an online love interest. You won’t get it back.

2. Pass this information on to a friend. You may not have gotten one of these calls, but chances are you know someone who will get one — if they haven’t already.

Pass it on
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Federal Trade Commission | ftc.gov/PassItOn

Please Report Scams
If you spot a scam, please report it to the Federal Trade Commission.

• Call the FTC at 1-877-FTC-HELP
(1-877-382-4357) or TTY 1-866-653-4261

• Go online: ftc.gov/complaint

Your report can help protect other people. By reporting fraud, you can help the FTC’s investigators identify the scammers and stop them before they can get someone’s hard-earned money. It really makes a difference.