Romance scam guide

Romance Scam Warning Signs in Australia

A romance scam is not always obvious at the start. The warning sign is often when trust turns into urgency, secrecy, money or identity requests.

Plain-English scam safety for Australians. Check before you click, pay, share a code, or let someone control your device.

Warm scam safety reminder to stop, check and ask before sending money or personal details to someone met online.

Quick answer: pause before sending anything

Do not send money, gift cards, crypto, identity documents or account access while you feel pressured.

Talk to someone trusted before replying again. Scammers often try to isolate people from family and friends.

Common warning signs

They avoid meeting or video calls, move the chat away from the platform, create emergency stories, ask for secrecy, or want you to receive and move money.

Gift cards, crypto and repeated small payments are serious warning signs.

What to save

Save the profile link, screenshots, phone numbers, email addresses, bank details, wallet details and receipts.

If you already shared identity details, use IDCARE or official identity support pathways and secure your accounts.

Use the free checker before the next step

These free tools are a first check only. They are not a guarantee. Do not enter passwords, one-time codes, card numbers or identity documents into a checker.

Is it my fault if I trusted them?

No. Scammers are trained to build trust and pressure people. The safest step is to pause and ask for help early.

Should I confront them?

Save evidence first. If you confront them too early, they may delete the profile or chat history.

What if I sent money?

Contact your bank first, then use the Lost Money Next Step Helper and Scam Evidence Checklist.

Not sure where to start?

Open the Scam Safety Hub and choose the checker that matches what happened.