Fraud Article
Romance scam detection in 2026: Why trust now requires verification
Romance scams are rising fast, driving an urgent need for stronger identity verification. Banks and payment platforms are working to stop fraud, while dating apps, social networks, and online marketplaces have become major targets. It’s time to step up against this growing threat.
Online romance has never been more popular — or more dangerous. As digital relationships increasingly shape how people meet, connect, and build trust, organized fraudsters have evolved alongside the platforms that enable those connections. In 2026, detecting romance scams will require new skills, updated policies, and coordinated responses from individuals, marketplaces, and regulators.
For many people, learning about romance scams evokes a mix of empowerment and shock. That reaction is normal. This guide aims to transform awareness into action by helping individuals stay protected and supporting platforms in creating safer, more trustworthy experiences. It breaks down how modern romance fraud operates, identifies key warning signs decision-makers should focus on, and provides practical, evidence-based steps to detect, prevent, and respond to scams.
Fraud is usually talked about in terms of money. But what it really takes from you is your sense of safety, trust, and self.
Why romance scam detection matters in 2026
Romance scams continue to cause severe financial and emotional harm — and they’re especially prevalent around Valentine’s Day, a time when more people seek love and connection online. According to warnings from the FBI, scammers often build trust over time using fake profiles on dating apps and social media, then exploit that emotional connection to request money, cryptocurrency, or personal information. These schemes can start innocently but quickly turn manipulative and financially devastating if red flags go unnoticed.
Even before generative AI became widely accessible, law enforcement consistently ranked romance fraud among the most financially damaging online crimes. Victims often lost tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, alongside long-term psychological trauma and privacy violations. In the U.S. alone, federal agencies have received tens of thousands of reports and hundreds of millions in losses, with many more cases going unreported because victims feel embarrassed or reluctant to come forward.
For platforms and marketplaces, this means fraud prevention can no longer rely on surface-level signals alone. Effective protection requires a layered approach that combines behavioral detection, identity verification, and fast, transparent response workflows.
How modern romance scams work
Modern romance scams are structured, intentional, and increasingly sophisticated. They typically progress through predictable stages — now enhanced by AI tools and data aggregation.
Profile creation
Scammers use AI-generated or stolen images to build appealing profiles. Multiple accounts across platforms reinforce fabricated backstories and create credibility.
Grooming and personalization
Personal details scraped from social media or public sources are used to tailor messages. Hyper-personalized communication builds trust quickly and lowers suspicion.
Escalation
Once emotional attachment forms, scammers introduce requests for money, gifts, or sensitive data — often framed as emergencies, investment opportunities, or travel obstacles. Requests to move conversations off-platform are common.
Exploitation and exit
After extracting funds or credentials, scammers disappear or repurpose victims’ identities for further fraud. These tactics are not limited to inexperienced users. They are designed to deceive busy professionals, engaged parents, and people who assume basic platform cues are sufficient.
The latest romance scam tactics in 2026
Three technologies now define the evolution of romance fraud:
- AI-generated profile photos that pass casual inspection and evade basic filters
- Deepfake video and synthetic audio, undermining traditional trust signals like video calls
- Hyper-personalized messaging, using scraped data to accelerate intimacy and urgency
Because these scams combine technical sophistication with emotional manipulation, detection must address both dimensions. Platforms and users should adopt a simple guiding principle: in real relationships, proof of identity is never a burden. In romance scams, it’s the first thing fraudsters try to avoid. Genuine people understand the need for trust and transparency, while scammers rely on secrecy, excuses, and delays to keep their deception intact. Recognizing this difference can help shift the focus from emotional pressure to practical verification, making it harder for fraudsters to operate.
He used the word ‘we’ a lot — ‘we are in a war’, ‘we need to be strong’. But it wasn’t him taking out the loans. It was me.
Romance scam red flags: Key warning signs to watch for
Romance scams often show early warning signs across profile details, messaging behavior, and technical patterns. New or overly polished accounts, rapid “soulmate” language, and pressure to move conversations off-platform can all signal potential fraud. Additional red flags include inconsistent personal stories, urgent emotional requests for money, and suspicious technical clues like multiple accounts linked to the same device or AI-generated image artifacts. While no single sign is definitive, recognizing these patterns helps users and trust teams prevent harm through awareness and layered detection.
Case study: building trust on Feeld through verification
A growing number of dating platforms are responding to these challenges by rethinking how trust is built into the user experience. One example is Feeld, a dating app designed for people exploring relationships, intimacy, and identity outside traditional norms.
Feeld serves a diverse global community, including queer, kink, and ethically non-monogamous users — many of whom place a high value on discretion, safety, and psychological security. From its founding, Feeld has positioned itself as a “community of communities,” built to support honest self-expression without compromising personal safety.
As Lavina Lim, Product Lead, Core Experience at Feeld, explains: “Feeld is the dating app for the curious. We define curious as people who are open-minded and interested in dating outside of heteronormative practices.” This framing captures Feeld’s mission to create an inclusive space for individuals exploring relationships beyond traditional norms, emphasizing openness, authenticity, and a broader understanding of connection and desire.
The challenge: identity misrepresentation and fraud
Like much of the dating industry, Feeld faced an ongoing challenge with identity misrepresentation, catfishing, and romance scams. For a small, self-funded team, relying on manual verification simply wasn’t sustainable — especially as the community increasingly called for stronger trust signals. As Lavina puts it, “The dating industry is plagued by identity misrepresentation — bad actors pretending to be someone else to catfish people or run romance scams.” Feeld needed a scalable solution that could confirm members were who they claimed to be, while still protecting the privacy of users who depend on anonymity or partial anonymity for safety.
Feeld chose Veriff not just for its verification technology, but for its collaborative, partner-led approach. Dating platforms face unique edge cases, and Feeld needed a solution that could adapt to its community’s specific needs.
Veriff stood out because they didn’t just give us a tool — they worked with us as partners.
This close collaboration enabled Feeld to design verification flows that felt natural within the app, supported robust testing, and avoided regressions during rollout.
The path forward
Romance scam detection in 2026 requires a balance of human judgment, advanced technology, and cross-sector collaboration. Scammers will continue to leverage AI-generated media and emotional manipulation — but individuals and platforms are not powerless.
With layered defenses, including identity verification, behavioral analytics, user education, and rapid response, marketplaces can reduce harm, improve recovery outcomes, and create safer digital spaces for connection
