The Relationship Was Fake. The Financial Damage Is Real. What You Need to Know About Romance Scams.

By CPIA Investigations | Criminal & Private Investigation Agency

Person at a laptop with a concerned expression, representing online romance scam vulnerability

In 2025, Americans lost more than $1.16 billion to romance scams — more than any other fraud category tracked by the Federal Trade Commission. The median victim lost $2,218. Many lost far more. Behind every one of those figures is a real person who believed they had found something genuine: a connection, a companion, someone who understood them.

Romance scammers are not opportunists. They are professionals. They study their targets, build trust over weeks or months, and deploy emotional manipulation with precision. By the time the financial request arrives, the victim is already invested — emotionally, psychologically, and often financially.

This is not a problem that affects only the naive or the lonely. It affects people across every age group, income level, and background. And it is growing.

How Romance Scams Work

Romance scammers typically operate through dating apps, social media platforms, and even direct messaging on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. They create detailed, convincing profiles — often using stolen photos of real people, including military personnel, medical professionals, and engineers working abroad.

The process follows a predictable pattern:

Rapid escalation: The scammer moves quickly to establish emotional intimacy, often declaring strong feelings within days.
Isolation: They encourage the victim to communicate privately, away from friends and family who might raise concerns.
The crisis: After weeks or months of relationship-building, a financial emergency emerges — a medical bill, a business deal gone wrong, a travel expense to finally meet in person.
The ask: Money is requested, typically via wire transfer, gift cards, or cryptocurrency — methods that are nearly impossible to reverse.

The meeting never happens. The crisis never ends. And the requests continue until the victim runs out of money or realizes the truth.

Who Is Most at Risk

The FTC reports that people aged 18 to 29 are actually more likely to report losing money to romance scams than older adults. However, older Americans — particularly those over 60 — report significantly higher individual losses. In 2023, older Americans lost an estimated $277 million to romance fraud alone.

Widows, widowers, and recently divorced individuals are frequently targeted. So are people going through major life transitions — job changes, relocations, the loss of a loved one. Scammers identify vulnerability and exploit it.

The Red Flags Investigators Watch For

A licensed investigator can often identify a romance scam within minutes of reviewing a profile or communication history. The warning signs are consistent:

The person claims to be working overseas — often on an oil rig, in the military, or as a contractor in a conflict zone
They refuse video calls or always have a technical excuse for why video does not work
Their messages feel scripted or slightly off — grammatically unusual or emotionally generic
They profess love or deep connection unusually fast
Any request for money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers — for any reason

If any of these patterns appear, the relationship warrants immediate scrutiny.

What to Do If You Suspect a Romance Scam

Do not confront the person directly. Do not send money under any circumstances. And do not assume that because you have been communicating for months, the person is real.

The right steps are:

Stop all financial transactions immediately
Preserve all communications — screenshots, emails, chat logs
Report the incident to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the FBI’s IC3 at ic3.gov
Contact a licensed investigator to verify the person’s identity and assess the full scope of the situation

Early action is the difference between stopping the damage and compounding it.

How the GSP Program Protects You

The Guardian Subscribe Partner (GSP) program exists precisely for situations like this. For $50 per month, GSP members have direct access to licensed investigators — not automated tools, not chatbots — who can verify identities, assess digital threats, and provide a 48-hour triage response to any suspicious situation.

If something feels wrong, it deserves more than a Google search. It deserves a professional assessment.

Protect yourself before the damage is done. Learn more about the GSP program at CPIA Investigations.