Fairfax County’s Police Department wants you to safeguard your money — and your heart. FCPD’s Financial Crimes Unit says to be aware of ever-increasing romance scams. “Romance scammers build trust online and then exploit it, often slowly and convincingly,” FCPD warns.
FCPD says that victims report a similar romance scam pattern: The scammer starts a conversation, moves you to private messaging, avoids meeting in person or on live video, and eventually asks for money or sensitive information.
Romance scammers often claim to live far away or be traveling for work. They’ll ask you questions, but share little information about themselves that can be verified. They offer frequent compliments, and may even profess love quickly, despite never meeting you. After building a connection, they’ll introduce an urgent problem such as a medical emergency, legal issue, travel trouble, real estate problem, or “can’t-miss” investment — and ask you to help.
The Financial Crimes Unit says to watch out for these romance scam red flags:
- They initiated contact online and quickly push to private messaging.
- They live abroad or far away and won’t meet in person or on live video.
- You’ve never met, yet they move fast emotionally or say “I love you.”
- They ask more questions than they answer and keep their life vague.
- They want your personal information (full name, address, banking info, Social Security number).
- They claim to have wealth or high status that doesn’t add up.
- They take their time to “bond,” then always have an excuse not to meet.
- They ask for money or assistance, often urgently.
Here are some ways to protect yourself:
- Verify before you trust. Do a reverse-image search of profile photos and look for inconsistencies across accounts.
- Keep chats public at first. Don’t move off the platform until you can verify who they are.
- Never send money or items of value. Refuse requests for wire transfers, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or prepaid cards.
- Guard your information. Don’t share IDs, bank details, or intimate images.
- Insist on a video call. Repeated “camera problems” are a red flag.
- Slow down. Urgency is a tactic. Pressure is your cue to pause.
- Tell someone: Get a reality check from a friend or family member.
If you’ve already sent money or information, FCPD says to stop contact immediately and save everything — such as usernames, messages, receipts, and transaction details. Immediately contact your bank or creditors to see if you can halt or recover transactions. Add fraud alerts to your accounts, change your passwords, and enable multifactor authentication.
You can also call FCPD’s non-emergency line at 703-691-2131 to report a romance scam. And report it online through FCPD’s Financial Crimes Online Reporting system.
Feature image courtesy tippapatt/stock.adobe.com
