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How to Spot Dating and Romance Scams in India

Most people looking for a partner are sincere. A few are not, and they rely on the same hopes everyone has. Knowing the pattern makes it far easier to stay safe and still stay open.

The pattern behind most scams

Almost every romance scam follows the same shape. A warm, attentive stranger appears. The relationship moves unusually fast. Then comes a problem that needs money. Everything before that moment exists to make the request feel natural.

Red flags

• Any request for money. A loan, a medical emergency, a customs fee, a parcel stuck at the airport, an investment tip. No genuine member will ask. This is the reddest flag of all.
• Declarations of love within days, from someone you have never met.
• A reluctance to video call. There is always a reason: poor signal, a broken camera, a remote posting. A short video call is a reasonable ask.
• Pushing to move to another app straight away. Off-platform, safety tools stop working.
• Stories that do not add up. Details about job, location or family that change over time.
• Photos that look like a magazine. Perfect, professional images and few ordinary ones can mean the photos belong to someone else.
• An overseas posting or a business abroad combined with an urgent need for help.

Practical protections

1. Never send money, gift cards or crypto to someone you have not met in person, however convincing the story.
2. Do not share banking details, OTPs, or copies of identity documents.
3. Ask for a short video call early. A real person agrees.
4. Run a reverse image search on their photos.
5. Meet in a public place the first few times, tell a friend where you are going and when you expect to be back, and arrange your own transport.
6. Trust your instincts over any badge. A verified badge confirms that a check was made; it does not vouch for someone’s honesty.

If you think you are being targeted

Stop sending money and messages. Keep screenshots of the conversation. Report the profile on the platform you met on. If you have lost money, contact your bank immediately and report it to the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in) or call 1930. Do not feel ashamed. These scams are run by professionals and catch careful people too.

How YoursVow helps

YoursVow has no feature for sending money. It rate-limits interest requests, prevents mass messaging, screens for known scam patterns, and lets you report, block or mute anyone at any time. Serious reports are reviewed by a person. Read the full safety guide, and the guidance for people over 50, who are often targeted.

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