Is it a romance scam? Free red-flag checker
Answer 12 yes/no questions about someone you met online. You will see which known scam patterns are present and what to do next. It takes about two minutes and nothing leaves your device.
- 1.Have they asked you for money, gift cards, crypto, or to pay a fee for them?
- 2.Have they asked you to receive money or packages and send them on?
- 3.Have they talked about investing or crypto, or offered to teach you to trade?
- 4.Have they refused or kept avoiding a live video call?
- 5.Do they say they are overseas: military, oil rig, doctor abroad, contractor?
- 6.Have you never met in person, even though you have talked for weeks or more?
- 7.Did they push to move the chat to WhatsApp, Telegram, Google Chat or text early?
- 8.Did they say "I love you" or call you their soulmate within the first couple of weeks?
- 9.Has a sudden emergency come up: hospital, frozen account, customs, legal trouble?
- 10.Have they asked you to keep the relationship secret from friends or family?
- 11.Did a reverse image search find their photos under a different name?
- 12.Have they asked for intimate photos or video?
Your answers stay in your browser. Nothing is sent or stored.
Why these questions
The FTC received 64,003 romance scam reports in 2023, with $1.14 billion in reported losses. Its analysis of those reports shows scammers reuse the same few stories: a military posting or oil rig overseas, a crypto opportunity, a package stuck in customs, or a sudden emergency. Every question above maps to one of those patterns. Read the full breakdown in our romance scam warning signs guide.
Search the name or number they gave you to see public profiles and photos.
Questions
How does the romance scam checker work?
Each question matches a pattern from FTC and FBI romance-scam guidance, such as money requests, refusing video calls or overseas stories. Patterns are weighted by how strongly they point to a scam. A request for money, or photos found under another name, puts you in the high-risk band on its own.
Is the result definitive?
No. It is a guide to patterns, not a verdict on a person. A low score does not guarantee someone is genuine; a high score is a strong signal to stop and verify.
Is my information stored?
No. The quiz runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you click is sent to TrueSearch or anyone else.
What should I do if I score high risk?
Stop sending money or photos, talk to someone you trust, and follow what to do if you were scammed if you already paid. Report to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Sources: FTC 2023 romance scam data, FTC Data Spotlight, FBI romance scams.
TrueSearch is not a consumer reporting agency as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Do not use TrueSearch or anything on this page to make decisions about employment, housing or tenant screening, credit, insurance, or any other FCRA-covered purpose. Results come from publicly available information and licensed telecom data and may be incomplete or out of date.