Bold warning: romance scams are real, and the cost goes beyond idle heartbreak to serious financial loss. On Valentine’s Day, Western Australian authorities laid out a clear wake-up call about online dating fraud, outlining the warning signs that can reveal a promising new romance isn’t what it seems.
Last year, sixty-three WA residents were duped by online romance schemes, collectively losing about $3.8 million. Attorney‑General Tony Buti stressed that while the losses weren’t the worst in recent years, they are still unacceptable and preventable. His consistent reminder: do not send money to someone you haven’t met in person yet, because there is always a risk the person you’re talking to doesn’t exist at all.
How these scams typically unfold: scammers create dating profiles with fake photos, invented backstories, and fabricated lives. They often begin with what experts call “love bombing”—a relentless flood of messages designed to rapidly form a close bond. Once trust is established, they pivot to requests for money.
Key red flags to watch for
- Frequent excuses to avoid in‑person meetings, such as claiming they work offshore or are currently deployed in the military.
- Pressure to keep the relationship secret from friends and family, including requests to communicate only on encrypted platforms or to isolate you from your support network.
- Direct insistence on money transfers or “special” financial arrangements.
These cues are not just minor annoyances; they signal a potentially dangerous pattern. If someone pushes you toward secrecy or asks for money, that is a major red flag.
The growing risk from technology
WA officials emphasized that advances in artificial intelligence could intensify these scams. Deepfake video and audio can make a fraudster resemble a real person convincingly, complicating victim judgments. One WA case involved an AI deepfake so plausible that a woman nearly fell for it during a video call—until a glitch revealed a different, hidden individual. In these schemes, the familiar lure remains the same: if you love me, you’ll help me out financially. The counter-message is simple and correct: if you truly cared, you wouldn’t pressure someone for money.
Who is most affected?
National data from the Anti‑Scam Centre shows online romance fraud disproportionately impacts adults over 35, people with disabilities, individuals from diverse backgrounds, and those who are divorced, widowed, or actively seeking a partner. Although men report more scams, women tend to incur higher losses. Across early 2024 to mid‑2025, women lost about $20.1 million nationwide, while men lost roughly $13.3 million. The average loss per incident was about $36,091 for women and $17,089 for men. Seniors—ages 65 and up—carried the largest total losses, to the tune of $11.7 million.
A candid note on under‑reporting
Buti pointed out that the official figures likely understate the true impact because many victims feel ashamed or embarrassed, which discourages them from reporting. That “shame factor” hides the full scope of losses and delays systemic responses that could prevent future scams.
Practical steps to stay safer
- Verify profiles with reverse image searches on engines like Google Images or TinEye to check whether photos appear elsewhere online.
- Invest time in getting to know someone before any financial or personal information is shared.
- Trust your instincts: if something feels off, pause and reassess.
- Share concerns with trusted friends or family, and avoid moving conversations to private or encrypted channels too quickly.
Bottom line
Romance scams can be highly sophisticated, but vigilance and skepticism remain your strongest defenses. If you’re ever asked for money early in a new online relationship, or you’re urged to keep things secret, pause and reassess. The core rule is simple: love should never require a loan. How do you balance openness with caution when meeting someone online, and what precautions would you want friends or family to remind you of in such situations? If you have thoughts or experiences, share them in the comments to help others stay safer.
