Romance scams in India: how they work and how to protect yourself

Romance scams in India follow a pattern. Someone builds a warm, attentive connection online, often over weeks, and then a request for money arrives wrapped in a story that is hard to refuse. The people who fall for them are not foolish. Scammers are patient, practised and good at sounding sincere. The best defence is knowing their scripts before you meet one.

This guide explains how these scams usually unfold, the stories to recognise, and exactly what to do if you think you are being targeted, including how to report it in India.

How a romance scam usually unfolds

Most romance scams move through the same stages.

1. The approach. A friendly message on a dating app, social media or a wrong-number text. The profile is attractive and the person seems successful: a doctor abroad, an engineer on an oil rig, an army officer, a business owner.
2. The bond. Daily messages, good-morning texts, long conversations, early declarations of affection. They listen well and remember everything. This stage can last weeks.
3. The move off-platform. They ask to switch to WhatsApp, Telegram or another app, away from the platform's report tools.
4. The excuse for no video. The camera is broken, the network on the rig is poor, their job does not allow calls. Video would expose them, so it never quite happens.
5. The crisis. A sudden emergency that only money can fix.
6. The escalation. Once you have paid once, a new problem appears. Then another.

The stories scammers use

The details change, but the scripts are remarkably consistent. If you hear any of these from someone you have only met online, stop.

The stuck gift

"I sent you a gift from abroad, but it is held at customs. You need to pay the clearance fee." A second caller, claiming to be from customs or a courier, then asks for payment. Real customs procedures do not work by a stranger asking you to transfer money to a personal account.

The medical emergency

A parent in hospital, an accident, an urgent operation. The request is urgent and emotional, designed to stop you thinking.

The blocked account

They are rich, but their bank account is frozen, so could you lend a little until it is sorted out? They promise to pay it back many times over.

The travel fee

They want to come to India to see you, but need money for a ticket, a visa or a fine at the airport.

The investment tip

They mention how much they earn through a trading or crypto app and offer to teach you. You make small "profits" at first on a platform they recommend, then cannot withdraw without paying fees. These mixed romance-and-investment frauds have been widely reported. Never install an app or invest through a link a match sends you.

Blackmail with recorded calls

A match persuades someone to do something private on a video call, records it, and then threatens to send the recording to their family or contacts unless they pay. This is a crime. Do not pay; payment usually leads to more demands. Stop contact, keep evidence, and report it (see below).

Warning signs to watch for

• They will not do a live video call, or the video is always too dark, frozen or brief.
• They push to move the chat to another app quickly.
• They claim to love you very soon, before you have spoken properly.
• Their job conveniently keeps them abroad or out of reach.
• Their grammar, background or story does not match who they say they are.
• They ask for money, gift cards, crypto, your OTP, your UPI PIN, or for you to approve a payment request.
• They ask you to keep the relationship secret from friends and family.

Our longer list of online dating red flags covers the subtler signs too.

Simple habits that protect you

• Video call early. A short live call is the quickest way to confirm that someone is real and matches their photos.
• Never send money to someone you have not met. No matter how real the story sounds. Not even small amounts.
• Keep conversations on the app. Platforms can only act on what happens on them.
• Run a reverse image search on their photos if you are unsure. Stolen pictures often turn up under other names.
• Never share OTPs, UPI PINs or card details. No genuine person or company needs them.
• Talk to someone you trust. Scams thrive on secrecy. A friend can often see the pattern you cannot.
• Keep video calls clothed and comfortable. If someone pressures you to do anything on camera you would not want recorded, end the call.

What to do if you think you have been scammed

Act quickly, especially if money has moved. Speed can make the difference in stopping a transfer.

1. Stop all contact and do not pay anything more, whatever they threaten or promise.
2. Save evidence. Screenshots of the profile, chats, phone numbers, UPI IDs, account numbers, transaction references and dates.
3. Call 1930. It is India's national cybercrime helpline for reporting financial fraud, and early reports can help freeze money in transit.
4. File a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in, the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal run by the Government of India. You can also go to your local police station or cyber cell.
5. Tell your bank and ask them to block any further transactions to the scammer's account.
6. Report the profile on every platform you used, so it can be removed before it reaches someone else.

If you are being blackmailed, do not delete the chats, because they are evidence. Report it the same way, and tell someone you trust. You are the victim of a crime, not the person who did something wrong.

How Titli helps

Titli is a live video chat app made in India. It is listed in the Social category on Google Play, not Dating, and video dating, getting to know someone face to face on video, is one way adults use it. Video first makes the most common scam, the fake profile that never shows its face, much harder to run. Titli also:

• Ties every account to a phone number or Google sign-in, and never shows your phone number to others.
• Lets you block or report anyone from their profile or chat. Report reasons include harassment, fake profile and spam.
• May capture still snapshots during video calls for moderation to review for safety, with an on-screen indicator and consent at sign-up.
• Bans scams, recording others without consent, and asking for or offering money, payment or meetings outside the app, in its Community Guidelines.

Titli is only for adults aged 18 and over (see our Terms). For more, read our safe online dating guide or the Titli safety page. If something on Titli worries you, email genzphilam@gmail.com.

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