Romance Scams on Dating Apps: 5 Red Flags to Spot Early

Meeting someone online and falling for them is completely normal now — which is exactly why romance scammers keep at it. In Korea, police received 1,066 romance scam reports between February and July 2025, up 34.7% from the same period a year earlier, with losses of about 65.4 billion won (roughly $45 million) (SBS via Daum, October 2025). It's not just a Korean problem, either: if you're chatting with someone across borders, you're exactly the kind of person scammers like to target, because distance gives them an excuse for never meeting.

What surprises most people is the speed. A Korean study of ten cases, cited in the same report, found that scams lasted an average of eight days from first contact to the end, with over 2,000 messages exchanged. A few intense days is all it takes for a stranger to feel like "the one." Knowing the warning signs lets you enjoy the excitement without the risk.

Red flag 1: They want to leave the app right away

"I barely check this app — add me on another messenger?" is one of the most common opening moves. Off the app, there's no report button and no record. Keep conversations inside the app until you've built some real trust.

Red flag 2: Love and marriage talk within days

Korea's Financial Supervisory Service lists a partner who quickly promises marriage as a classic warning sign. Real relationships take time. If someone you've never met is planning your future together after a week, slow things down.

Red flag 3: A glamorous job that keeps them far away

Deployed soldier, surgeon with an overseas NGO, offshore oil engineer, crypto investor — the story usually explains why they're rich, busy and unable to meet. If the photos look like a magazine shoot, run a reverse image search. Scam groups now use AI-generated photos and even fake documents.

Red flag 4: Video calls never quite happen

A broken camera, strict company security, bad Wi-Fi — again and again. A thirty-second video call settles a lot of questions. Someone who always avoids one usually has a reason.

Red flag 5: Money comes up, in any form

Every romance scam ends with a request for money. The versions reported in Korea include:

• A "gift" stuck in customs that needs you to pay clearance or storage fees
• An invitation to invest together on an exchange or app you've never heard of
• A side-business or reward-points scheme that needs a "withdrawal fee"
• A sudden emergency: hospital bills, a plane ticket, a frozen account

Often you'll see small early "profits" before a bigger deposit gets locked. The simplest rule protects you from almost all of it: never send money to someone you haven't met in person, whatever the reason.

If something feels off

1. Stop any transfers and screenshot everything — their profile, messages, account numbers and messenger IDs.
2. If you've already sent money, call your bank immediately to ask about stopping the payment. In Korea, you can report it to the police at 112; elsewhere, contact your local police and bank.
3. Report and block them in the app so they can't move on to the next person.
4. Talk to someone you trust. An outside view makes things clearer fast. Watch out for follow-up scams, too — fake "recovery services" or victim groups that promise to get your money back for a fee.

Stay open, stay safe

You don't need to treat everyone as a suspect. Take your time, do a video call before getting attached, and meet somewhere public in daylight the first time. That's enough to protect yourself without closing the door on someone great.

On ZemTalk, everyone starts with phone number SMS verification, and translated chat lets you get to know someone in your own language before deciding on a next step. Taking it slow is the safest way to start.