You can’t always sense right away that something is wrong. Scammers can be patient, attentive, and very skilled at playing on emotions. Sometimes, for many weeks, they don’t ask for anything—they just write, offer support, build trust, and create the illusion of a real relationship. And that’s exactly why it’s so easy to get drawn in.

The first red flag is that everything happens exclusively online. There are no meetings, no live conversations, and every attempt to meet in person ends with an excuse. Then come quick confessions, declarations of love, and plans for the future, even though you only know each other through a screen.

Most often, the problem follows shortly after. Suddenly this “close” person has financial troubles, needs help, can’t withdraw funds, pay a bill, or help a sick relative. A request for a transfer appears—first one, then another. If something about the relationship starts to worry you, don’t ignore it. Your intuition is rarely wrong.