Romance scams have been around for years, so we’ve always had to keep our guard up when meeting “someone special” online. Today, romance scams have become tremendously more sophisticated largely thanks to AI tools, calling for even more skepticism.

Romance scammers still flatter, manipulate, and pressure their way into the lives of their victims. They play off emotions and threaten to “leave” if they don’t get what they ask for. Ultimately, romance scammers play long and patient mind games to get what they want — like money and personal info.

In many cases, scammers use scripted playbooks. Even with technology reshaping the tricks scammers can pull, recognizing that many of their tactics remain the same can protect you from hurt and harm. Overall, they follow a well-known roadmap, which makes their scams easier to spot. Even though these scams are sophisticated, you can avoid them.

Signs of a romance scam

Recognizing the warning signs of a romance scam is crucial to protect yourself from heartbreak and financial loss. Let’s discuss the most common signs of a romance scam and how to avoid falling victim to such deceptive tactics.

It seems too good to be true

If the person seems like a perfect match right from the start, be cautious. Scammers often stake out their victims and create profiles designed to appeal to their desires and preferences. In some cases, we’ve seen scammers use profile pictures that look similar to the deceased partners of widowers.

Love comes too quickly

Some romance scammers say they “love” their victims within the first couple weeks of chatting. Take that as a red flag when you’ve had no in-person contact with them. Rushing into talk of love so quickly is often a sign of a scam.

The story doesn’t check out

Sometimes multiple scammers take turns chatting with a victim. As we’ve shown in our blogs before, large online crime organizations run some romance scams. It’s not unusual for different scammers to chat with victims at different points in the “relationship.” For example, one scammer starts the relationship, another builds it so it blossoms, and yet another takes over when it’s time to ask for money and info. With several people acting as the same phony love interest, inconsistencies can crop up. Look out for them.

What’s more, even individual scammers forget details they have previously shared or provide conflicting info about their background, job, or family. It’s possible that one romance scammer has several scams going on at once, which can lead to confusion on their part.

You feel pressured

Romance scammers pump their victims for info. By getting a hold of things like addresses, phone numbers, and financial details, scammers use that info to commit further identity theft or scams. If someone online presses you for this info, keep it to yourself. It might be a scam.

Also, if the person asks all sorts of prying questions and doesn’t share a lot of detailed info about themselves, that’s another possible sign of a scam. Conversations in romance scams can sometimes run a bit one-sided.

You’re asked for money in some form or fashion

This is the heart of the scam. With the “relationship” established, the scammer starts asking for money. They might ask for bank transfers, cryptocurrency, money orders, or gift cards. In all, they ask for funds that victims have a tough time getting refunded, if at all. Consider requests for money in any form as the reddest of red flags.

Also, watch out for AI

Scammers now use AI. That actually gives us one less tell-tale sign of a romance scam. It used to be that romance scammers refused to hop on video calls as they would reveal their true identities. The same for voice chats. That’s not the case anymore. With AI deepfake technology so widely available, sophisticated scammers can now sound and look the part they’re playing — in real time.

The important point is this: today’s romance scammers can make themselves appear like practically anyone. Just because you’re chatting with a “real” person on a call or video meeting, that’s no guarantee they are who they say they are.

How to make it tougher for a romance scammer to target you

Romance scammers track down their victims in several ways. Some scammers blast out direct messages and texts en masse with the hope they’ll get a few bites. Others profile their potential victims before they contact them. Likewise, they’ll research anyone who indeed responds to one of the messages that they’ve blasted out.

In all cases, locking down your privacy can make it tougher for a scammer to target you — and tougher for them to scam you if they do. Your info is their goldmine, and they use that info against you as they build a “relationship” with you.

With that in mind, you can take several steps to protect your heart and your money from scammers.

1. Make your social media more private

McAfee Social Privacy Manager personalizes your privacy based on your preferences. It does the heavy lifting by adjusting more than 100 privacy settings across your social media accounts in only a few clicks. This makes sure that your personal info is only visible to the people you want to share it with. It also keeps it out of search engines where the public can see it. Including scammers.

2. Watch what you post on public forums

As with social media, scammers harvest info from online forums dedicated to sports, hobbies, interests, and the like. If possible, use a screen name on these sites so that your profile doesn’t immediately identify you. Likewise, keep your personal details to yourself. When posted on a public forum, it becomes a matter of public record. Anyone, including scammers, can look it up.

3. Remove your info from data brokers that sell it

McAfee Personal Data Cleanup helps you remove your personal info from many of the riskiest data broker sites out there. That includes your contact info. Running it regularly can keep your name and info off these sites, even as data brokers collect and post new info. Depending on your plan, it can send requests to remove your data automatically.

4. Protect yourself from deepfakes

The AI-driven McAfee Scam Detector spots deepfake videos, letting you know if something you’re watching may not be what it seems. Whether it’s someone pretending to be your love interest, boss, or a fake celebrity endorsement, Scam Detector makes sure you don’t get fooled.