Lesson 121 · 2 min
Online romance scams
Someone you met online who is caring, successful and never able to meet in person may be running a scam that ends with a request for money or an investment.
Romance scams start slowly. A stranger messages by "mistake" or matches on a dating app, then chats every day for weeks. AI helps them write warm, flawless messages and keep many conversations going at once.
Their photos are often stolen or generated. They always have a reason not to video call properly, or the call is short and blurry.
Then comes the turn: a medical bill, a stuck customs package, or an exciting investment site where they say they have made a fortune. Victims are encouraged to start small, see fake profits, then put in more.
Talk to a friend you trust about anyone you have only met online. Never send money or invest because someone you have never met in person asks.
Do it now
Check an online friend's photos
- 1. Save one profile photo of the person.
- 2. Run a reverse image search with Google Lens or a similar tool.
- 3. If the face appears under other names or on a model's page, stop the chat.
Quick check
Words from this lesson
- Phishing
- Fake messages that pretend to be someone you trust to trick you into clicking a link, paying or sharing passwords.
- Deepfake
- A fake video, photo or audio clip made with AI to show a real person saying or doing something they never did.
- Generative AI
- AI that produces new text, images, audio, video or code, rather than only sorting or scoring existing things.