Report a Dating Scam and Get Your Money Back

If you've just realized the man you've been talking to took your money, call the company that moved it before you file any report. By the end of this page you'll have a reversal request open, a case number from the FTC and the FBI, and the scammer's profile flagged. It fits in one sitting, and the sitting should be today. Wire transfers reported within about 72 hours have a meaningfully better chance of being stopped, according to FinCEN's Rapid Response Program, and after that they become much harder to pull back.

1. Screenshot anything you haven't saved yet. Do this before you block him, because some apps delete the chat once you do. You're done when you have a folder of images, each showing a date.

2. Stop replying. The FTC's romance scam guidance puts this first. Don't explain yourself and don't tell him you know. It's working when the conversation goes quiet on your side.

3. Call whoever moved the money and ask for a reversal. The right place depends on how you paid:

4. Western Union or MoneyGram: report it to the company immediately and ask them to reverse the transfer.
5. Credit or debit card: dispute the charge with your card issuer.
6. Gift cards (Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, Steam): call the company that issued the card right away and give them the card numbers.
7. Bank wire: call your bank's fraud line and ask them to recall the wire.
8. Crypto: tell the exchange you bought it through. The FTC is blunt that recovery here is far harder.
9. Venmo, Zelle and similar apps: none of the government sources we checked give a reversal window for these. Call the app and your bank anyway, today.

This step has worked when you hang up with a claim or reference number written down.

1. File a complaint at IC3.gov. It can look like paperwork next to the bank call, but for a wire it's part of the recovery. FinCEN's Rapid Response Program only starts once a victim or her bank has filed with law enforcement, and it has helped recover more than $1.1 billion since 2015. Attach your messages and transaction records. You'll know it went through when you get a confirmation with a complaint ID.

2. Report him at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC won't work your individual case, and it says so. It uses reports to build broader law enforcement action. You should end up with a report number on screen.

3. Report his profile on the app where you met. Use the in-app reporting tool, and give the platform your IC3 complaint ID if it asks. Some apps are quicker than others to act on reports, which is one reason we rank dating apps by safety. The step has worked when the app confirms your report.

4. Tell one person you trust. The FTC recommends it, and not only for comfort. Whoever you tell becomes a second pair of eyes for step one of the next section.

If you've made the calls and have the case numbers written down, you've done everything within your control. The FTC puts the average romance scam loss in 2025 at $2,020, which is enough to hurt without being enough to stop you dating. The useful thing now is learning the warning signs worth trusting, so the next one gets caught in the first week of messages instead of after a transfer.