How to spot and avoid scams
Romance scammers build trust, sometimes for weeks, and then ask for money. These signs and steps can help you stay safe on The Counsel and anywhere else you meet people online.
Never send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency or financial information to anyone you meet on a dating app, however convincing their story.
Warning signs
- They ask for money, gift cards, cryptocurrency or a wire transfer, for an emergency, travel, a visa, medical bills or a business problem.
- They offer an investment or crypto "opportunity", or want to teach you how to trade.
- They push to move the conversation to another app, text or email quickly.
- They always have a reason they can't video chat or meet.
- They say they live or work far away: overseas, in the military, on an oil rig, at sea or as a doctor abroad.
- They profess strong feelings very fast, or their story changes.
- They ask you to receive or forward money or packages for them.
- They ask for a verification code sent to your phone, or for your passwords.
- They threaten to share intimate photos unless you pay (sextortion).
Protect yourself
- Keep conversations in the app until you trust someone. Our safety tools only work inside the app.
- Video chat before you meet, to check they look like their photos.
- Search their photos with a reverse image search; scammers often use stolen pictures.
- Don't share your home address, workplace, financial details or verification codes.
- Talk it over with a friend or family member before you act on any request involving money.
If it's happening to you
- Stop contact and report the person in the app (⋯ menu on their profile or in the chat), then block them.
- If you sent money or financial details, contact your bank, card issuer or payment app right away. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment.
- Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. Keep messages, usernames and payment records.
- If someone threatens to share intimate images, don't pay, keep the evidence and contact local police. StopNCII.org can help stop images of adults spreading online.
- In an emergency, call 911.
What we do
We screen messages for scam patterns and requests for money, and we ban accounts we believe are using a false identity or trying to defraud members. When we do, we tell everyone the account messaged. Questions: thecounseldating@gmail.com.