Sean P.

Here's the bottom line:

Never send money or gifts to a sweetheart you haven't met in person.

If you suspect a romance scam:

Stop communicating with the person immediately. Talk to someone you trust, and pay attention if your friends or family say they're concerned about your new love interest.

Do a search for the type of job the person has to see if other people have heard similar stories. For example, you could do a search for "oil rig scammer" or "US Army scammer." You can also browse the comments on our blog posts about romance scams to hear other people's stories:

Faking it scammers' tricks to steal your heart and money

Has an online love interest asked you for money?

Romance scams will cost you

Do a reverse image search of the person' profile picture to see if it's associated with another name or with details that don't match up those are signs of a scam.

If you think it's a scam, report it to thecapitalrecovery. Com.

Notify the website or app where you met the scammer, too.

If you paid a romance scammer with a gift card, contact the company that issued the card right away. Tell them you paid a scammer with the gift card and ask if they can refund your money.