One in five Brits encounter fake profiles or AI bots: the growing romance scam threat

In 2026, one in five Brits on dating apps say they’ve encountered a fake profile or an AI bot. According to City of London Police, 10,784 romance-fraud reports were recorded in 2025 (29% increase from 2024), with victims losing more than £102 million. Unfortunately, these numbers are likely to reach new heights in the future.

Unfortunately, AI has made the scammers’ life much easier because they can now create very convincing fake identities at a click of a button. They can generate photos to trick victims into thinking they are interacting with real people, and they can also generate persuasive messages to speed up the process – the scammer can dedicate time to finding new victims instead of writing fake love notes.

Needless to say, verification is more important than ever. Luckily, there are digital security solutions like Bitdefender that can act as your verification ally, helping you assess suspicious links, profiles, and digital interactions before trust turns into financial loss.

What is a romance scam? Definition and how it works

The romance scam is a form of fraud in which a cybercriminal builds a fake romantic or close personal relationship with a target, typically online. The goal is to manipulate them into sending money, gifts, personal information, or investing in fraudulent schemes.

The lifecycle is pretty straightforward. It all begins with a contact on a dating app or social media, which transforms into a fast-moving emotional bond. Then comes the fabricated crisis or opportunity, and, lastly, the financial ask. For example, a scammer might fake an illness, an unexpected financial loss, or personal tragedy to urge victims into gifting or lending money.

How long do romance scams usually last?

Romance or dating scams usually last from a few weeks to months of building a relationship and establishing trust. This is also known as the grooming phase before the scammer makes any financial ask. Once they secure the trust, the requests escalate. Some cases can even run for a year or more with victims sending repeat payments.

Of course, in the age of AI chatbots, the timeline is being compressed because scammers can use personalized, round-the-clock messaging that accelerates emotional attachment. In short, they can target more victims at the same time.

Why AI is supercharging romance scams

Nowadays, generative AI allows a single scammer to run dozens of convincing conversations simultaneously through chatbots, generate deepfake photos and video for fake profiles, and clone voices for fake video calls that used to offer reliable identity verification.

Unlike stolen photographs, AI-generated profile photos may not appear anywhere else online, making a reverse image search less useful for spotting deception. AI can also keep conversations flowing around the clock, tailoring the messages to the victim’s interests and creating the intense sense of connection that romance scammers rely on.

Unfortunately, AI-based relationship scams are already becoming highly prevalent in online dating. What’s worse, a quick video call can no longer be used for proof of identity, as real-time face-swapping and voice manipulation can make the scammer appear pretty authentic.

The crypto romance scam: when love becomes an investment pitch

Scammers behind cryptocurrency romance scams build fake romantic relationships to gain trust and then persuade victims to send cryptocurrency or trick them into making false crypto investments.

Scammers heavily rely on the pig butchering method for the success of this scam. The term refers to a scammer who builds a romantic relationship over weeks or months to gain trust before they introduce a too-good-to-miss cryptocurrency investment opportunity. If the victim falls, they go for the final kill and take the money: scammers can walk the victim through setting up a wallet or exchange account, and show fabricated returns to encourage larger deposits before disappearing with the funds.

For scammers, crypto is often the preferred payoff method for a couple of reasons. First, transactions are largely irreversible and hard to trace. Second, scammers can trick victims into believing that they are the ones benefiting from the conversation, which can lower their guard.

Common romance scam tactics in 2026

Dating scammers are currently using various advanced tactics for their romance scams. Here are the most common ones, so you can spot fraud quicker:

1. AI chatbot profiles. A romance scammer can use AI-powered chatbots to create automated, always-on conversation partners. They’re often able to mimic a real person’s texting style, and they always rely on a constant stream of romantic attention to trick the victim into thinking the relationship is genuine. In reality, AI makes the job easier and enables the scammer to target multiple people at once.
2. Deepfake photos and video calls. In the past, a simple video call could prove the real identity of anyone online. Today, that can be faked as well. Scammers use AI-generated or face-swapped images and short video clips to prove that their identity is, allegedly, real when a suspicious victim asks for a video chat.
3. Military or overseas-worker personas. To avoid meeting in person, scammers often choose to take on the disguises of military members or overseas workers. They may claim to be offshore contractors, oil-rig workers, or employees in other professions that are known for remote work.
4. Crypto investment fraud. As I discussed above, fraudulent crypto investments are a common part of online love scams. Scammers use romantic relationships to introduce fraudulent crypto trading platforms or wallets.
5. Fake emergencies. Very often, romance scams rely on urgency. This can be represented by sudden medical bills, customs fees, or travel costs that only the victim can supposedly solve with a wire transfer or gift cards.
6. Isolation tactics. Last but not least, scammers can also encourage victims to keep the relationship secret from friends and family. That’s because these individuals are most likely to spot the scam early.

4 romance scam red flags and warning signs

Being able to identify romance scam warning signs will help you understand whether you’re being scammed. I carefully explored the most common romance scam signs – from profile-level to conversation-level to financial-request. Here’s what you should look out for.

1. Red flags in the dating profile

A suspicious dating profile doesn’t automatically mean a scam, but several of these signs should make you pause and think before diving deeper:

• Professional model-quality photos. Highly polished photos, lack of casual pictures, or images that look unusually perfect can indicate a fake or AI-generated identity. I recommend checking whether the photos appear somewhere else online, while keeping in mind that AI images may not produce useful reverse-image-search results.
• New or inactive profile. You should also be careful if you face a completely new profile or a profile with few photos, little personal information, and limited activity.
• Inconsistent details between the profile and conversation. Make sure you pay attention to such details as age, occupation, location, or family situation. If you notice discrepancies between the profile and your conversations, it’s a huge red flag that the identity is fake.
• Urgency to move the conversation to text or a messaging app. You also need to be careful if someone immediately asks to switch to WhatsApp, Telegram, text, or another private messaging platform. That’s because dating apps make it easier for you to report fake profiles.

2. Red flags in the conversation

Aside from the profile, there are many red flags that appear in the conversation as well. The most common ones include:

• Overly fast declarations of love (lovebombing)
• Refusal or repeated excuses related to requests for video calls or meeting in person
• Inconsistent or vague answers about their occupation, location, and other data that could help confirm someone’s identity
• Conversation that always circles back to their hardships or plans for a shared future

3. Red flags in financial requests

Any request for money, gift cards, and cryptocurrency or suggestions to invest is a red flag when it comes from a person you don’t know much about. This should become even more suspicious if it’s framed as an emergency, a one-time favor, or a joint investment.

Note that real people online do not normally ask their new connections for financial help or access to bank or crypto accounts.

4. Verifying who you are really talking to

Last but not least, you need to verify who you’re talking to before you dismiss any other warnings and red flags that may arise. In the best case scenario, you can meet in real life, but only if you have considered all security risks.

I highly recommend doing reverse image search on profile photos, asking for a live, unscripted video call with a specific gesture (to rule out looped deepfake video), and searching their name and stated employer to check for consistency.

Real romance scam examples and chat patterns

A romance scam chat often starts with an ordinary online conversation. Some scammers might lean into lovebombing right away, while others might ease into the fake relationship. Ultimately, you can expect excuses, emotional pressure, and financial requests.

In one scenario, “a widowed professional” claims he works overseas and quickly develops strong feelings, but constantly avoids video calls and in-person meetings because of his supposed work commitments.

In another, a new match pushes the conversation to WhatsApp almost immediately, sends highly polished or AI-generated photos, and becomes intensely affectionate before asking for money or personal information.

A third scenario involves a crypto-savvy match who offers to teach the victim how to trade, builds confidence with apparent profits, and then directs them to a fraudulent trading platform where deposits disappear.

The pattern is more or less always the same. It starts with quick emotional intimacy followed by repeated excuses, isolation from normal verification, and eventually a financial opportunity or urgent request.

Here’s an example of how such a conversation may look like:

Scammer: I’ve never felt this close to someone so quickly. I think you’re the person I’ve been waiting for.
Victim: That’s sweet. Are you maybe free to video call?
Scammer: Soon, I promise. My work connection is terrible here, but I really want to see you.
Scammer: By the way, I’ve been making good money trading crypto. I could show you how. The best part is that you can start with a small amount.

What to do if you think you’re being targeted or already lost money

Unfortunately, romance scams are so advanced that you might not be able to identify all forms. If you think you’re being scammed, or you already sent money, don’t panic. Here’s a breakdown of the step-by-step recovery path:

1. Stop all contact and communication immediately
2. Contact your bank or crypto exchange to attempt a reversal or freeze (crypto recovery is often unlikely but should still be reported)
3. Report the profile to the dating platform
4. File a report with Action Fraud (UK) or the FTC/IC3 (US)
5. Reach out to a trusted friend or family member for support – there’s nothing shameful about falling for the scam, so you shouldn’t stay silent

You can add an extra layer of safety with Bitdefender Ultimate Security, which includes Scam Protection Pro to help verify suspicious links shared during the relationship, and Digital Identity Protection to monitor for further misuse of your personal or financial data.

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How Bitdefender helps you spot fake profiles and AI bots

With romance scams increasing in popularity, you may need to take additional steps that go beyond just identifying the red flags. I recommend getting software that can help you figure out if you’re talking to a real person or a scammer. Bitdefender Ultimate Security is the right choice for that.

Bitdefender offers an essential verification layer for dating online. It’s like a practical safety net in the modern dating landscape that’s been tainted by AI. The best part is that Bitdefender is a multi-faceted solution that can offer many different types of protection:

• Bitdefender Scam Protection Pro (AI Powered). This is Bitdefender’s “Intelligent Verifier” that analyzes suspicious links, payment requests, and messages in real time. It flags patterns tied to known romance and crypto scam scripts before you transfer money or share data. It also blocks malicious, phishing, and scam links. The tool’s Web Scam Protection component is focused on browsing activities and specializes in detecting the newest scam patterns and tactics. It also offers platform-level anti-phishing and anti-fraud protections.
• Digital Identity Protection. If you want to focus on continuous monitoring for leaked financial or personal data, this tool will be your go-to solution. It helps even if you have already shared sensitive information with a scammer.
• System-wide Ad blocker & Anti-tracker. Bitdefender blocks ads and ad-tracking and profiling. This protection works at the network level, so it can block trackers and ads in other apps, not only the pages within the browser. This blocks third parties from collecting such personal data as device type and location.
• VPN. Bitdefender Premium VPN offers a way to protect your personal data while you’re using dating apps and messaging platforms.
• Virtual protection tools. Bitdefender further guards you by blocking malicious sites as well as phishing and fraud attempts using Web Protection (on mobile) and Web Attack Prevention, Anti-Phishing, and Anti-Fraud (on desktop) tools.

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Conclusion

With 20% of Brits running into fake profiles or AI bots while dating online, healthy skepticism and verification habits are no longer optional. You need to be able to discern fake profiles, and that’s not always easy to do.

Slowing down, verifying identity through video calls and reverse image search, and refusing any financial or crypto request are the three habits that stop most romance scams before they start. In short, you should not trust by default – verify before you trust.

I recommend pairing your own vigilance and scam-detection abilities with software that’s designed to identify and block fraud before scammers get to you. Bitdefender Ultimate Security is my top recommendation as it can catch what a fast-moving, emotionally charged conversation can make easy to miss.

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