Romance scams, fake shops and marketplace scams look different, but they run on the same idea. Someone builds trust, then asks you to pay in a way you cannot undo. Here is how to spot each one, and what to do if you have already paid.
Romance scams
A romance scam can start on a dating app, on social media, in an online game, or with a "wrong number" text that turns into a friendly chat. The person is attentive and moves fast. They message every day and talk about a future together. There is always a reason they cannot meet: they work abroad, on a ship or an oil rig, in the military or for an aid group.
After weeks or months, the money comes up. It may be a crisis, such as a hospital bill, a customs fee or a plane ticket to visit you. Or it may be an opportunity: they show you an investment site where they made good profits and offer to help you start. The site shows growing numbers, and you can never take the money out without paying another "fee".
Signs to watch for:
- they want to leave the dating app for a private chat early on;
- they avoid live video calls, or the video is always poor;
- their story has small gaps, or their photos look too polished;
- they ask you to keep the relationship or the money secret;
- they ask you to receive money and send it on. That makes you part of a crime, even if you did not know.
Check before you trust. Run their profile photos through a reverse image search such as Google Lens or TinEye. Talk to a friend or relative you trust and show them the messages. Video calls help, but they are no longer proof on their own: faces and voices can now be faked with AI tools. The rule from the US Federal Trade Commission is simple: never send money or gifts to someone you have not met in person. Its page on romance scams lists the usual stories.
Fake online shops
Fake shops are often advertised on social media. They sell popular items at prices well below everyone else, or a "closing down sale" from a brand that is not closing. They may copy a real shop's design and reviews.
- Search for the shop's name with the words "reviews" or "scam".
- Look for a real company name, address and returns policy. Copy a line from the "about" page into a search engine and see if it appears on other sites.
- Be wary of a web address registered in the last few weeks. A domain lookup service shows the registration date.
- Pay by card or through a payment service with buyer protection. A card payment can often be disputed through your bank. A bank transfer, crypto or a gift card almost never can.
Marketplace scams
On second-hand marketplaces the scam can work in either direction.
- As a buyer: the seller wants a deposit before you can see the item, or asks you to pay outside the marketplace "to save fees". The item never arrives.
- As a seller: the buyer sends a link to "receive your payment", which asks for your card details. Or they send a fake "payment received" e-mail, or overpay and ask you to refund the difference before their payment bounces.
Keep the conversation and the payment on the marketplace, where its protections apply. Check payments in your own banking app, never through a link someone sent. On Internetivo, payouts go only by bank transfer to an account in the member's own name. A request to pay a friend's account or a different name is a sign to stop.
If you already paid
- Stop paying. Scammers often ask for one last fee to release the money. It never ends.
- Call your bank or card issuer at once and tell them you paid a scammer. For gift cards, contact the company that issued the card, with the receipt.
- Report the profile or listing to the app or site where you met.
- Report it to the police. In the US, also report at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
- Watch for recovery scams. People who promise to get your money back for a fee are often the same scammers again.
Feeling embarrassed is normal, and it is what scammers count on to keep you quiet. These scams work on careful, intelligent people every day. Telling someone early is the best protection.
Common questions
- Who do romance scammers target?
- Anyone, of any age or gender. Widowed and divorced people are often targeted, and so are young people on gaming and social apps.
- They sent me money first. Does that make them real?
- No. Sending you money is a common step, either to build trust or to use your account to move stolen money.
- Can I get gift card money back?
- Sometimes, if you contact the issuer quickly with the card number and receipt. Treat any request to pay in gift cards as a scam.
- The shop has good reviews. Is it safe?
- Not necessarily. Reviews can be bought or copied. Look for reviews on independent sites and for a real company behind the shop.
Real people can wait while you check. Scammers cannot.