Romance scams in Australia: warning signs and where to report

A romance scam is a fraud in which someone builds a relationship with you online, usually on a dating site, app or social media, so they can get money, personal details or access to your accounts. The person may not exist as described at all. In Australia, these scams are reported to Scamwatch, run by the National Anti-Scam Centre, and to police through ReportCyber.

How big the problem is in Australia

Romance scams are big business. According to the National Anti-Scam Centre, 1,330 Australians reported losing money to romance scams through Scamwatch in 2025, with losses of more than $28.6 million, up 21.8% on the year before. Online contact, including dating platforms, social media and forums, accounted for more than 80% of those losses. Counting reports to all the bodies that collect scam data, romance scam losses in 2025 came to $139.9 million, the third-highest of any scam type.

Those numbers only count people who reported. Scamwatch has said around 30% of people don't report the most serious scams, so the real figure is higher.

How these scams usually run

Most romance scams follow one of two patterns that Scamwatch describes: a slow build towards a crisis, or a fast move into a fake investment.

The long con. Someone builds a bond with you over weeks, months or even years. They're attentive, they remember everything, and they seem to share your values. Then a crisis arrives: a medical bill, a problem at work, a stuck payment, a ticket they can't afford. The requests start small, then grow.

Romance baiting. This one can be short. It starts on a dating app, moves quickly to another messaging app, and turns into an "opportunity": a cryptocurrency platform or investment your new match says has done well for them.

Either way, the ask is for money: Scamwatch lists requests for bank transfers, cryptocurrency and gift cards among the warning signs. Money sent this way is often very hard to get back.

The warning signs

These come straight from the advice published by Scamwatch, the National Anti-Scam Centre, Victoria Police and NT Consumer Affairs.

• Fast, intense feelings. Declarations of love or talk of a future together within days or weeks.
• Mirroring. They seem to share every interest and value you mention.
• Moving off the site. An early push to another messaging app, email or text.
• No video, no meeting. Repeated cancelled video calls, a broken camera, or reasons they can't meet: working overseas, on a remote site, in the military, or stuck by sudden travel restrictions.
• Money, sooner or later. For an emergency, a fee, a flight, an investment, crypto or gift cards. Often small at first, then larger.
• Secrecy and urgency. Pressure to act quickly, keep the relationship to yourself, or not tell friends and family.
• Requests for details. Your ID, passport, address, bank logins, one-time codes, or remote access to your phone or computer.
• A story that doesn't add up. Details that change, messages at odd hours for their supposed time zone, or a polished profile that doesn't match how they write.

One of these on its own might be nothing. Two or three together is a script.

The regional twist: excuses that sound normal out here

In regional Australia, "I'm away on a mine site" or "I work remote" is a perfectly ordinary thing to hear, and scammers know it. That makes the remote-work excuse harder to spot here than in the city.

A real FIFO or remote worker comes home, can tell you where they fly out of, and can manage a video call on a day off. Someone whose roster never allows any of that, and who needs money to get home or pay a fee, is not on a roster. Our guide to dating with FIFO or shift work covers the genuine version, and long-distance dating in regional Australia covers the "I'd visit if I could afford the fuel" variation.

Five-minute checks before you trust someone

A few quick checks will expose most fake profiles before you've invested much.

• Reverse image search their photos. If the same photos turn up under different names, you have your answer.
• Ask for a video call. Someone genuine will make it happen within a few days.
• Ask a local question. If they say they're from your region, ask about something only a local would know.
• Talk to someone you trust. Scammers rely on secrecy. A friend who isn't emotionally involved will often see it straight away.
• Check before investing. Scamwatch advises checking any investment business on ASIC's professional registers, and never taking investment advice from an online contact.

And the one rule that cuts across every version: don't send money, cryptocurrency or gift cards to someone you haven't met in person.

What to say when they ask for money

You don't owe a scammer an explanation, but having words ready makes it easier to hold the line. An example:

"I don't send money to anyone I haven't met in person. If you're genuine, you'll understand. Let's do a video call this week."

A genuine person may be disappointed, but they'll accept it. A scammer will usually push harder, invent a new deadline, or turn cold. Either reaction tells you what you need to know.

If you've already sent money or details

Act quickly, and don't be embarrassed. Scamwatch says plainly that it is never the victim's fault.

1. Call your bank or card provider straight away. Ask them to stop or recall any payments. Speed matters.
2. Report to police through ReportCyber if you've lost money or personal information.
3. Report to Scamwatch. Reports help the National Anti-Scam Centre disrupt scams and warn others.
4. Call IDCARE on 1800 595 160 if you've shared ID documents or personal details. Scamwatch describes IDCARE's help with limiting identity theft as free.
5. Report the profile to the dating site. On Oasis Singles, you can report a profile from inside the members area.
6. Change your passwords and turn on multi-factor authentication, especially if you gave anyone access to your device.
7. Keep evidence. Screenshots, usernames, phone numbers, bank details and receipts.

If your bank's response doesn't resolve things, you can take a complaint to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), which describes its service as fair, free and independent dispute resolution for financial complaints. Its free call number is 1800 931 678.

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 000.

Be wary of anyone who contacts you afterwards offering to recover your money for a fee. And if someone asks you to receive money and send it on, say no: Victoria Police warns that this can make you a money mule.

Intimate images and blackmail

Scamwatch has long warned that intimate photos and webcam sessions shared with online contacts have been used for blackmail. Don't send intimate images to someone you haven't met.

If someone threatens to share images of you, stop all contact, don't pay or send anything more, keep the evidence, and report it. The eSafety Commissioner calls this sextortion, a form of image-based abuse, and can help get content removed and stop threats. Victoria Police also points people to eSafety, and you can report to police as well. Our guide to keeping your dating life private in a small town has the step-by-step version.

Looking after yourself

Being scammed hurts twice: the money, and the relationship you thought you had. If it's weighing on you, Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36. If a scam has left you in debt, Scamwatch suggests speaking to a free financial counsellor.

What Oasis Singles does and doesn't check

Every photo on Oasis Singles is reviewed. What members write about themselves is not checked. ID verification, using an ID document and a selfie, is an optional paid badge, and is required only in some cases, such as signing up through a VPN or if an account is flagged. A badge tells you someone matched their ID; it doesn't tell you their intentions.

That's why the habits above matter more than any badge. Our safety page covers first meetings and has a table of who to call, and how it works explains who can see and message you.