white rabbit
Online safety · Chapter 2

Spotting catfish, fake profiles and romance scams

Scams follow a script. Once you know the lines, they become surprisingly easy to spot — and to walk away from.

By White Rabbit EditorialPublished 5 min read

The most reliable signs of a catfish or romance scammer are refusal to video call, photos that appear elsewhere online, intimacy that escalates unusually fast, and — sooner or later — a request for money, gift cards, crypto or an “investment”. A catfish uses someone else’s photos or a made-up identity. A romance scammer uses that identity to extract money. Many fake profiles are both.

The quick checks that expose most fakes

  1. Ask for a live video call. A few minutes on camera is hard to fake convincingly. Pre-recorded clips, a camera that’s always “broken”, or endless reasons to delay are warning signs.
  2. Reverse image search their photos. Search engines like Google and Bing let you search by image. If the photos belong to a model, influencer or someone with a different name, you have your answer.
  3. Check the story holds together. Scammers juggle many conversations. Details about their job, location or family that shift over time are telling.
  4. Stay on the platform. Pressure to move quickly to WhatsApp, Telegram or another app is often about escaping moderation and reporting tools.

What does a romance scam look like?

The details vary; the arc rarely does.

  • Love-bombing. Intense attention, flattery and talk of a future together within days.
  • A reason they can’t meet. Working overseas, on an oil rig, in the military, travelling — always just out of reach.
  • A crisis. A medical bill, a customs fee, a frozen bank account, a ticket to finally visit you.
  • A request for money — often by gift card, crypto or bank transfer, which are hard to reverse.
  • Urgency and secrecy. “Don’t tell anyone, they won’t understand us.” Isolation keeps you from the friends who’d spot the scam.

The “investment” scam

A growing version skips the sob story. A new match mentions, casually, how well they’re doing trading crypto or foreign exchange, and offers to show you how. The platform they recommend looks professional and shows your balance growing — until you try to withdraw, and are asked for “fees” or “taxes” first. This is widely known as pig butchering. The rule is simple: never take financial advice from someone you met on a dating app.

Fake “verified” claims

Some scammers send screenshots of ID, claim to be “verified elsewhere”, or ask you to verify through a link they provide. Treat all of these with suspicion. Verification only means something when the platform does it itself and shows it on the profile — never through a link a stranger sends you, which may be phishing for your details or card.

Scams aimed at discreet members

If you’re in a discreet arrangement, scammers may count on you being reluctant to report them. That’s the same lever used in sextortion. Reporting to a platform or the police doesn’t require you to explain your relationship, and you’re the victim of a crime either way.

If you think you’re talking to a scammer

  1. Don’t send money, gift cards, crypto or ID documents.
  2. Screenshot the profile and conversation.
  3. Report the profile to the platform, then block it.
  4. If you’ve paid, contact your bank straight away, then report the fraud to the police — in the US, the FBI at ic3.gov.

Being scammed says nothing about your intelligence. These operations are often professional and scripted. What to do if something goes wrong →

How White Rabbit helps

Every member passes an 18+ check before entering, and verified members carry a brass seal awarded by the platform — not a screenshot. Messaging only opens after a consent-first request is accepted, and reporting is always free. See safety & discretion →

Frequently asked questions

How can I tell if a dating profile is fake?
Ask for a short live video call and run a reverse image search on their photos. Fake profiles often use stolen or model-style images, avoid video, have thin or inconsistent details, and push quickly to move to another app.
What is pig butchering?
A scam where someone builds a friendly or romantic connection, then persuades you to invest — usually in crypto — through a fake trading platform. Early “profits” look real, but the money can’t be withdrawn and is lost.
What should I do if I've sent money to a scammer?
Call your bank or payment provider immediately — they may be able to stop or recover it. Then stop contact, keep evidence, report the profile, and report the fraud to the police (in the US, the FBI at ic3.gov). More in if something goes wrong.

Sources & further reading

How we write and check these pages: editorial standards. This is general information, not legal, medical or therapeutic advice.

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