The romance / 'pig-butchering' scam

A scammer builds a fake romantic relationship with you over weeks or months, then asks you to invest money or move funds into accounts they control.

Documented by the FTC & FBI IC3 · reviewed 2026-07-11T18:14:57.874Z

How it works

You meet someone online who seems genuinely interested in you and builds trust through personal conversations. Over time, they introduce an investment opportunity or urgent financial need that only you can help with, creating emotional pressure to act quickly. They may coach you on what to say to your bank or how to move money to make the transfer seem legitimate.

What it can look like

You connect with someone on a dating app who seems like a perfect match. After several weeks of warm messages, they confide that they have a business opportunity but need help transferring funds from one account to another. They reassure you it's temporary and you'll earn a return, asking you to wire money or buy gift cards on their behalf.

How it unfolds

Scams like this follow a pattern. Knowing the arc helps you notice where you are — and step away before the ask.

Someone you've never met reaches out on a dating app or social media with an attractive photo and a friendly message. They seem genuinely interested in getting to know you, and conversations feel natural and warm.

Over weeks or months, they build a connection with you—sharing their life story, compliments, and affection. They may gradually mention a business opportunity, investment, or personal emergency (medical bill, travel cost, business problem) where they need your help.

They ask you to send money, cryptocurrency, gift cards, or make a transfer 'just this once' to solve their problem or to join them in a money-making scheme. The requests may start small and grow larger, with promises of repayment or profits.

You send money or give access to accounts, but the person disappears, the promised returns never come, or new emergencies keep appearing and more money is requested. At this point, you realize the relationship was not real and the financial requests were the true goal.

The moment to step away: If someone you've met only online asks for money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or account access—especially if you've never met them in person—stop all contact and do not send anything. Genuine romantic partners do not ask for these things early in a relationship.

Red flags

The person moves quickly to expressing deep feelings and wanting commitment, even though you've only communicated online.
They eventually ask for money, investment help, or access to your accounts—often with an urgent or emotional reason.
They avoid video calls, voice calls, or in-person meetings, making excuses.
They coach you on what to tell your bank, or ask you to use unusual payment methods like wire transfers or gift cards.
If you hesitate or ask questions, they pressure you or become defensive about the situation.

What to do

If someone you've only met online asks for money or access to your accounts, pause and verify their identity through an independent channel before any transfer.
Talk to a trusted friend or family member about the request; scammers often isolate you by discouraging outside opinions.
Report the account and conversation to the platform, and report the scam at reportfraud.ftc.gov so authorities can help protect others.

If it already happened

Acting quickly can limit the damage. You are not alone, and it is not your fault.

Stop all contact with this person immediately. Do not respond to further messages, and block them on the platform where you met them and on any other social media or messaging apps.
Contact your bank, credit card issuer, or payment service (such as PayPal, Venmo, or cryptocurrency exchange) right away. Report the fraudulent transactions, explain you were a victim of romance scam, and ask about stopping payment or reversing transfers if possible.
Change the passwords on all your online accounts—email, banking, social media, dating apps—from a secure device, in case the scammer obtained any login information during your conversations.
Document everything: save screenshots of conversations, transaction records, and the scammer's profile. Then report the scam at reportfraud.ftc.gov, which is the official U.S. federal agency for fraud reports. You can also report the fraudulent profile to the platform where you met them.

Sources

Guidance on this page draws on public, authoritative consumer-protection resources (verified live 2026-07-10). Documented by the FTC & FBI IC3 · reviewed 2026-07-11T18:14:57.874Z.

Spotted this or lost money? Report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov. This is general educational information, not legal or financial advice — and ScamVet never asks for your identity or account details.

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