They’re too good to be true. Scam profiles will generally have attractive photos or displays of financial success – if they are seemingly perfect, you should be skeptical.

They pretend to be in places you can’t meet with them. To provide a plausible reason why they can’t meet with you in person, the scammer may claim to be working outside of the country or in a similarly inaccessible place (on an oil rig, in the military, etc.)

They’re quick to claim they are in love. Even if you can’t meet them in person, they will chat with you daily, and too quickly, they’ll come forth with declarations of love or even ask to marry you, saying you can share all of your secrets (and money) with them now. Don’t fall for it.

They use hard-luck stories to ask for money or gifts. They make plans to see you, but lo and behold, they can’t because they have a lost airline ticket, visa, or a medical emergency. If you send them some money, they could still see you… but before you send them anything, think before you act.