How to Spot an Online Friendship or Romance Scam

1. What is a friendship or romance scam?

A friendship or romance scam is when someone builds a friendly or romantic connection online so that they can ask for money, personal details or intimate photos later. The conversation can feel warm and real for days or weeks before the request comes.

Scammers often use stolen photos and invented life stories. They may message many people at once, using the same script.

2. Warning signs to watch for

• Things move very fast. Constant compliments, “I’ve never felt this way”, or talk of a future together within days.
• They always have a reason not to meet or video call. A broken camera, a job abroad, a poor connection.
• They want to move apps. They push to continue on another messenger straight away.
• Their story doesn’t add up. Details change, or their photos look like a model’s or appear elsewhere online.
• A problem appears. A medical bill, a stuck parcel, a frozen account or a travel emergency.
• They ask for money, gift cards, crypto or an OTP. Often a “small” amount first.
• They ask for secrecy. “Don’t tell your family, they won’t understand.”

One sign on its own isn’t proof. Several together are a strong reason to stop.

3. Common stories scammers use in India

• The gift or parcel: they have sent you a gift, but you must pay a “customs” or “clearance” fee to receive it.
• The investment tip: they have made money on a trading or crypto app and want to help you do the same. Early “profits” are shown to build trust, then withdrawals are blocked.
• The emergency: they, or a relative, need urgent money for a hospital, a ticket or a fine.
• The official call: someone pretending to be from the police, a courier company or a government agency says you are in trouble and must pay or stay on a video call. Indian authorities have warned that there is no such thing as a “digital arrest”.
• The task or job: easy paid tasks, such as liking videos, that later need a deposit.
• The photo trap: a flirty video call or photo exchange followed by threats to share the recording. See what to do if someone threatens to leak your photos.

4. How to check if someone is real

• Search their name, username and phone number online.
• Run a reverse image search on their profile photos.
• Ask a specific question about something they told you earlier and see if the answer matches.
• Talk it over with a friend or family member. Scams rely on secrecy.

Even if someone seems real, you can still say no to any request for money or codes.

5. How to protect yourself

• Never send money, gift cards or crypto to someone you have only met online.
• Never share an OTP, UPI PIN, password or card details. No genuine person or company needs them.
• Don’t install apps or click links that a new contact sends you.
• Keep chats on the app where you met, so blocking and reporting still work.
• Keep personal details, such as your address, workplace and family names, to yourself.

For more everyday habits, read how to chat with strangers safely.

6. What to do if you have already sent money

Act quickly. Call 1930, India’s cybercrime helpline, and report the fraud on cybercrime.gov.in. Reporting fast gives the best chance of stopping the payment. Then tell your bank, change any passwords or PINs you shared, and stop all contact with the scammer.

Be careful of anyone who contacts you afterwards offering to “recover” your money for a fee. That is often a second scam.

7. How to report a scam attempt

If you haven’t lost money but want to report a suspicious call, SMS or WhatsApp message, use Chakshu on Sanchar Saathi, the government’s reporting facility for suspected fraud communication. Also block and report the account on the app where you met. Our guide to reporting online harassment in India explains each route.

8. How BeAnon helps

BeAnon is a planned one-to-one chat app for adults 18+. You will be able to leave a chat, block someone and report a user or message at any time. BeAnon will never need your OTP or password in a chat, and you should never share them with another user. The Safety Center has more guidance.

FAQ

What is the biggest sign of an online scam?

A request for money from someone you have only met online, in any form. That includes a direct transfer, gift cards, crypto, a top-up, a loan you will supposedly be repaid, or a one-time password sent to your phone. The request is usually wrapped in a story designed to make refusing feel cruel: a medical emergency, a customs charge on a gift, a frozen account, or an investment that is closing today. The story may be detailed and consistent, and the person may have spent weeks being genuinely warm to you first, because that investment is what makes the request work. Treat the request itself as the signal rather than judging the story. However convincing it sounds, say no, never send an OTP to anyone for any reason, and stop the conversation. A real friend will not lose your friendship over a refusal to send money.

Why won’t a scammer video call?

Because a live video call would show that they are not the person in the photos they sent you. Someone using stolen or AI-generated images cannot sustain a spontaneous video call, so the request gets deflected, and the excuses are usually ready-made and repeatable: a broken camera, a poor connection, being at work, a shy personality, or a promise to call properly at some later date that never quite arrives. Watch for the pattern rather than any single refusal, since plenty of genuine people are uncomfortable on camera. What is telling is a long, warm conversation in which every attempt to verify who they are gets postponed, especially alongside growing emotional closeness or an eventual request for money. Be aware of the opposite risk too: a video call you do join can be recorded without your knowledge, so treat calls with strangers cautiously in both directions.

What should I do if I sent money to a scammer?

Act quickly, because the first few hours matter more than anything else you do. Call 1930, the national cyber financial fraud helpline, as soon as you realise what has happened — reporting fast gives the best chance of the payment being frozen before it is moved onward through other accounts. Then file a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in with your evidence, and tell your bank so they can flag the transaction and secure your account. Keep everything: transaction IDs, UPI IDs, screenshots of the conversation, and the profile links. Stop all contact with the person, and do not send a further payment to recover the first one, which is a common follow-up demand. Do not let embarrassment keep you silent; these scams are run by people who do this full time, and reporting promptly is what gives you the best chance of recovery.

Where can I report a scam call or message in India?

For suspected fraud calls, SMS or messages, use the Chakshu facility on sancharsaathi.gov.in, the government of India’s portal for reporting suspected communication fraud. It is the right route when someone has approached you with a scam attempt but you have not lost anything — reporting still helps, because it feeds into action against the number being used. If money has actually changed hands, treat it as urgent instead: call 1930 as soon as possible and file a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in, since a fast report gives the best chance of stopping the payment moving further. These routes are not alternatives to each other, and you can use more than one. Keep your evidence in every case: screenshots showing the number and timestamps, and any transaction details. If someone has threatened you or you feel unsafe, call 112.