What are romance and relationship scams?
Romance scammers may approach you in a number of ways – chat rooms, social networking sites, unsolicited emails or dating websites – all the same ways you could meet genuine relationship-seekers.
They'll build up a relationship of trust with you, then eventually ask for some type of financial help. Often, they'll ask you to send money to pay for airfares for them to visit you or to help them out of a sticky situation while they’re travelling.
Potential signs of a romance scam
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Moving fast
Romance scammers aim to create an emotional connection quickly. Be wary of declarations of love or intense emotions shortly after meeting online.
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Inconsistent communication style
Some scams involve a team of scammers posing as the same person. Be alert to changes in writing style or inconsistency in conversation.
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Personal crises that might be solved with money
Romance scammers might not directly ask for money, they may appeal to your empathy by talking about challenges like health, family, or business troubles.
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Reluctance to meet or speak face to face
Scammers using a fake identity will make repeated excuses to avoid face-to-face meetings or video calls
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Requests for money
All requests for money from people you've met online should raise caution. Romance scammers will often request money for flights, transport or accommodation to meet in person.
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Requests to deposit money or cheques
Be wary of accepting or moving money for someone you've met online. You could unknowingly be involved in money laundering or other illegal activities.
Tips to avoid romance and relationship scams
- Be careful about who you communicate with online, and have a healthy sense of scepticism for people you have never met in person.
- Don't send money to someone you've met online.
- Don't engage with hints alluding to requests for money.
- Stop communication immediately if someone you've met online asks you to open a new bank account or use an existing one to receive funds, .
- Be wary if an online contact only gives you a post office address and a phone number which they never answer and doesn't have voicemail.
- Look for discrepancies with the information they're telling you.
- Try a reverse image search to see if the person's images are stolen from another person or source online. You can do this through Google Image search. Click on the camera icon, then enter the image link or upload a copy from your computer.
Helpful resources
What to do if you've been scammed
Anyone can fall for an online scam. If you suspect that you've been scammed, get in touch with us as soon as possible.
Get in touch
Call us on 0800 113 355 (or +64 4 473 1133 from overseas) if you think you've been scammed.
Report suspicious activity
If you think you’ve been sent an email that doesn’t look like it’s from us, forward it to suspicious.email@kiwibank.co.nz.