How to spot and avoid falling for an online dating scam

Romance and online dating scams cost Australians $139.9 million in 2025, making them the third most costly scam type in the country, according to Scamwatch. With scammers becoming increasingly sophisticated and convincing, it can be harder than ever to tell who's genuinely looking for a connection and who's looking for your money.

Online dating should be about making meaningful connections, not worrying about scammers. Understanding how romance scams work can help you recognise the warning signs, navigate the digital dating world with more confidence and better protect your money and personal information.

How do online dating scammers work?

Romance scammers create fake online profiles with stolen photos and personal information, then reach out to unsuspecting victims. Scammers gain a victim’s trust, then convince them to transfer money or make investments on their behalf, often threatening to break off the relationship if the victim doesn’t pay up. Keep an eye out for these red flags and follow the tips below to stay scam safe.
 

Red flags to watch out for

• Romance scammers profess their love quickly and intensely – known as “love bombing”. They’ll try and rush the relationship to gain your trust quickly.

• Scammers will often try to avoid face-to-face dates or video calls, give excuses about overseas travel, or just don’t show up when they say they will.

• They often make up elaborate stories or have an urgent emergency, and ask for money, investments, personal information or ask you to set up bank accounts on their behalf to help them.

• They may get angry and threaten to end the relationship if you refuse to do what they ask or ask too many questions.
   

Tips to avoid online dating scams

• Never send money, passwords, bank details, authentication codes or personal information to anyone you haven’t met in person.

• Do a reverse image search of the person’s profile picture to see if they’re being used in other places on the internet.

• Consider what information you share online. Personal details like your family, job, address, birth date and photos can be used to threaten, blackmail or steal your identity.

• Talk to a trusted friend or relative to get their perspective on the person’s behaviour.

• If you're unsure about an online relationship, use Scamwatch's Online Relationship Health Check. In a simple Q&A, it can help you identify behaviours commonly associated with romance scams and assess the likelihood of the relationship being a scam. 

Think you've fallen for an online dating scam? Here's what you can do

• Take screenshots of any conversations you’ve had with the scammer.

• Block the scammer from all communication and cut off contact.

• Visit cyber.gov.au and report it to police.

• Report suspected scams to scamwatch.gov.au and help others avoid similar scams. 

• If you were contacted via social media, report it to the social media platform.

If you believe your AMP account has been compromised, alert us immediately. 

AMP Bank customers can call 13 30 30. 

AMP Bank GO customers can message us 24/7 in the app. 

AMP Super members can call 13 12 67.