Grandma Scammed by a Fake Ronan Keating
From what we can gather, for at least the last year, my grandma (78) has been romance scammed by some piece of shit pretending to be Ronan Keating (member of the band Boyzone). My...
Real Stories from Real Victims
Learn from 76 documented cases to protect yourself
Cloaked Facebook Ads Hijack Business WhatsApp Number
Managing ads for a legit SG-based client (not adult/dating related at all). We discovered fake "online dating" ads running under unrelated Page names, using a tracking redirect (lo...
Fake Chinese Police and the Webex Interrogation
I believe I was involved in this scam. I've seen several similar stories about it now in articles and on Reddit, but wanted to post mine for awareness in case certain details help...
Fake Bank Call Almost Cost Me $1,000
Help me understand what happened. And yes, I'm an idiot. Anyway... I got a text message from my bank saying there was a fraudulent transaction and did I authorize it. I said no. Th...
Stolen Discord accounts spam fake e-girl cam servers
I have been getting a lot of people with hacked accounts sending me server links to egirl sex cams. The person or group uses the same message every time: "omg girl in cam join (ser...
Fake romance led me to a bogus Bitcoin mine
The scammer contacted me through the UpScrolled social media app, then moved the conversation to Telegram. After Telegram failed twice, we switched to Zangi. The "relationship" las...
Romance scam led me to invest $7,500 in fake bitcoin mining
Scammer contacted me through UpScrolled social media app. Moved conversation to Telegram messaging app. Telegram app failed twice then moved to Zangi. Relationship lasted for two m...
Counterfeit dress and the never-ending return runaround
I saw a lovely spring dress on the site. When I went to the site I saw other items I liked and ordered four items. When they arrived they all were very different from the original...
Online dress order turned out to be counterfeit
I saw a lovely spring dress on the site. When I went to the site, I saw other items I liked and ordered four items. When they arrived, they were all very different from the origina...
Romance scam drains $500,000 with endless excuses
Lovers scam. They claimed they needed money to pay a debt for a mother’s funeral, then needed money for a computer, phone, plane ticket home, lawyer fees, etc. Then they needed mon...
Fake romance led me to a bogus bitcoin mining investment
A scammer contacted me through the UpScrolled social media app and moved the conversation to Telegram. When Telegram failed twice, we moved to Zangi. The relationship lasted for tw...
Photographer Took $850 for Baby Photos, Then Went Silent
On May 14, 2025, I emailed Melissa (Missie) Jacobson, who runs Missie Loves Photography, asking about the maternity-through-1-year photography package advertised on her website and...
Voucher-Bait Mailer Claims $309.64 in Groceries
I received an unsolicited mailer claiming that an organization called “AAPP” is holding $309.64 in grocery & gas vouchers for me. The letter uses urgent language (“URGENT – ACTION...
Fake Grocery and Gas Voucher Mailer Scam
I received an unsolicited mailer claiming that an organization called “AAPP” is holding $309.64 in grocery & gas vouchers for me. The letter uses urgent language (“URGENT – ACTION...
Photographer took $850 for maternity package and vanished
On May 14, 2025, I sent Melissa (Missie) Jacobson (dba Missie Loves Photography) an email inquiring about the maternity through one-year photography package advertised on her websi...
Ex Catfished Twice, Now Moving to a Nonexistent House
Back in October, I found out my ex was involved with someone online who he got catfished not once, but twice by the same person. First time, he handed over his checking account inf...
Hippiedates.com charged me weekly
I am reporting Hippiedates.com. Of course I want a date, being a hippie, and I expected to pay for the service once a month. Boy, did they get me. They charged me $19.43 about ever...
Fake Legal Mail Voicemail Scam
The following message was left on my voicemail as well as the voicemail of 3 other relatives that I am aware of. There has been no attempt to deliver anything to my home. Good afte...
Hippiedates.com kept charging me every week
I am reporting Hippiedates.com. Of course I want a date, being a hippie, and expected to pay for the service once a month. Boy did they get me. Charging me $19.43 about every week:...
Fake Legal Mail Voicemail
Phishing Scam - Process Service Impostor. The following message was left on my voicemail as well as the voicemail of 3 other relatives that I am aware of. There has been no attempt...
Tinder date ended in a ₹33k pub bill
Last Sunday, I went on my first ever Tinder date, and I had absolutely no experience with dating or pubs. I didn’t really know how things work, so I just went along with whatever s...
Woman posing as previous owner asks about safe
...but I've never seen her name written on any document before. So this woman shows up at our house, chattering with me and the hubby, and seems very believable. She says she's ex...
Reddit Mentor Almost Cost Me $5,000
Met a guy through r/Money after posting about my finances. He reached out in the comments, offered financial and career advice unprompted. Said he works as a Senior Account Executi...
Grandma scammed by former student claiming homelessness
I love my grandmother; she’s a very generous person, though very vulnerable to scams and she’s getting old. To start, she was a teacher to this student who claims he watched both h...
I Quit an Insurance Scam Call Center in Noida
Throwaway account for my own safety. I need to expose a massive financial fraud syndicate operating right now out of a multi-story commercial building in Noida Sector 16. I was hi...
Dating App Romance Led to $16K Online Store Scam
I was convinced by a guy I met on a dating app into creating an online store and investing money for about 2 1/2 months. It turned out to be a scam. The app he made me download was...
Dating App Romance Led to Fake Online Store
I was convinced by a guy I met in a dating app into creating an online store and investing money for about 2 1/2 months. That was actually a scam. The app he made me download into...
Dating App Romance Leads to Fake Store Scam
I was convinced by a guy I met on a dating app into creating an online store and investing money for about 2 1/2 months. That was actually a scam. It was TIKI INT, the name of the...
Romance scam: fake online store cost me $16k
I was convinced by a guy I met on a dating app into creating an online store and investing money for about 2 1/2 months. That was actually a scam. It was TIKI INT, the name of the...
Dating App Romance Leads to $16K Online Store Scam
I was convinced by a guy I met on a dating app into creating an online store and investing money for about 2 1/2 months. That was actually a scam. It was TIKI INT, the name of the...
Dating App Scam: Investing in Fake Online Store
I was convinced by a guy I met in a dating app to create an online store and invest money for about 2 1/2 months. It turned out to be a scam. The app he made me download was TIKI I...
Neighbor falls for AI romance scam, won't believe it
She refuses to believe me. Yesterday she told me to mind my fucking business and then called the cops on me, claiming I'm harassing her. The cops could tell she's got some dementia...
My dad's six-year addiction to scammers cost over $20,000
I (47) am posting this not to ask for advice, but because I think this might be useful for others who may be going through a similar thing and are feeling lost or alone. My dad is...
Fake Online Merchant Uses Bogus Tracking Number
A word of warning to those who shop online: don't assume that the merchant is legit, even with elaborately constructed websites. I fell for this scam because I needed to order an o...
Underage Scam Call: Don't Panic
I got a call today from someone claiming to be a private investigator from the crime prevention unit. He knew my first name, but called my VOIP number (not my real cell) that I use...
Malware popup after Reddit link was a scam
Clicked on a link showing a Stardew Farm on Reddit (classic) and got a pop-up saying that I've been exposed to critical malware. Now I keep getting notifications from Chrome on my...
Live location lured me into a gift card scam
I matched with a verified profile on a dating app and we began chatting via iMessage with our actual phone numbers, not some third party app. It was going to be a casual meet up, b...
Crypto ATM scam cost me my college savings
I can no longer go to college. I'm an idiot, a moron, and dumb. This should never happen to anyone. My life savings were stolen from me—$17,900 of $19,800 to be exact. It was a cry...
My Father Fell for a Credit Card Scam
Venting. My father is 75 years old and received a call explaining his card was restricted due to a fraud alert/charges. They told him basic information about himself and that a few...
The €15k Watch Gift That Was an Advance-Fee Scam
I’m posting this because I’m almost certain this is a scam, but the way it happened was interesting, so I’m sharing it in case it helps someone else avoid the same situation. I li...
Mom falls for fake Luke Bryan romance scam
Hey all, I am at a loss. Recently my mom seems to believe she is in an online relationship with Luke Bryan. Apparently they have face-timed and share contact every day. Supposedly...
FaceTime Call Reveals Phone Held Up to Another Phone
Hi, I joined a Christian dating website a couple weeks ago. I’ve been texting with one man I met on the site. We both have iPhones and have been texting that way, not over WhatsApp...
How I fell for the n1-venture oil scam
Very convincing people are behind this scam. Personally, I got seduced by the oil price and invested more seeing the $$$ going up. After investing a significant amount of money, I...
Almost Got Love Scammed: Red Flags
I met someone online. It's only been a week but we already decided to meet in my home country - Asia. I live in another country and I told him I will go home for vacation, he said...
Paid volunteering gig in Gurgaon turned out unpaid
This happened about a year ago but it still sits with me in a really weird way. I was a student at the time and honestly not doing great financially, so when I got this 2-day “pai...
Dad's number used in gunpoint scam
Hi all, Just need to get this off my chest and see if this has happened to anyone else. In the middle of the workday I got a call from my dad - not a random number, but my dad's n...
The Craigslist rental that never happened
I know there are a LOT of scams when it comes to housing rental listings on Craigslist, but this one has me perplexed and I would love to hear your theories. I responded by email...
Fake investors stole our startup business plan
Sharing this because I wish someone had warned us before this happened. We are an early stage startup and got cold emailed by someone from an investment firm called OneStop AG (on...
Fake Actress Romance Scam Cost Me Gift Cards and Bitcoin
I got mixed up online with who I thought was a woman who wanted to leave the adult film industry and start a family. She said if we got married her late dad's money would be willed...
Nextdoor Dog-Sitting Scam Warning
Just want to warn people of a dog-sitting scam that I encountered on Nextdoor. Person would say that their relative needs dog-sitting services from a certain date and to email thei...
Paid $50 for a Free Malaysia eArrival Card
Hi guys, my girlfriend and I are travelling through Southeast Asia currently. While applying for a digital arrival card for Malaysia, we accidentally used a third-party website and...
Attempted lost wallet shakedown in a grocery store parking lot
I was the victim of an attempted lost wallet plot and I want to know what legal recourse is available to me or what I can do. My location: PA. Location of the incident: Lansdowne,...
Investment Scam Tried to Lure Me with Fake Profits
Пытались развести на быстрый заработок в investaifoundation. Scam. Играли в долгую, периодически закидывали, что зарабатывают хорошие деньги, выводя проценты от вложения. Милые дам...
Dating app 'Topcashback' scam with Bitget account
I was in a dating app (Tinder). I matched with a Chinese guy with the blue check, which in that time in my mind is a verified account. We started to chat for a while, got my WhatsA...
Discover catches AARP and Paramount charges
My Discover card just texted/emailed me about a $15 AARP membership. I am not a member (love to them though). Apparently, I was also charged $15 last month and didn’t notice. While...
Pregnancy scam after sugar date
Last February, I meet up with a lady from seeking (the sugar dating site). We had sex exactly once before deciding to go our separate ways. Used a condom but it slipped. I gave her...
Mom Caught in an AI Trader Investment Scam
I learned about this situation a couple days ago and it's been driving me insane since I heard about it, and I'm desperate for help at this point. I love my mother and if I can't p...
He borrowed £40, then £600, and sent fake bank screenshots
Please excuse my first Reddit post. I might miss some established etiquette here. I met a guy in November and we hit it off. Long story short, he said he earned a lot of money, bu...
Romance scam on Tinder cost me my €30k house deposit
Two years ago I became the victim of a romance scam and I wanted to share my story to help others recognize the warning signs. I met a woman on Tinder who said she was Chinese and...
Threatening texts using my birth name
Reposting since my first was corrected and removed by moderators. Around 1am last night, I received two phone calls and three text messages from a phone number in my area code. Th...
Sister almost falls for a Craigslist laptop scam
My sister just upgraded to a gaming PC from a gaming laptop, so she listed the laptop for sale on Craigslist. She got a message today from someone who doesn’t live in our state and...
Bizarre 'Wrong Number' Call Used My Husband's Name
Hi everyone, I'm hoping this is the right place to ask about something weird that happened today. My husband received two calls from an unknown number while we were driving togeth...
Soldier Romance Scam: He Asked for an Apple Card
A person on WhatsApp messaged me with a long message saying how beautiful I was and how it was an accident that he found me but decided to take the chance and talk to me anyway. He...
Fake Newfoundland Breeder Took My Money and Vanished
Cheryl Dee Newfoundlands Pup is a scam business operating via Facebook. They identify as a Newfoundland breeder/rescue and are also the administrators of Newfoundland Lovers and Re...
Fake AT&T call led to Apple ID login attempt
First, I’m sorry for the long post but there’s a lot of backstory and I’m sharing all the details in hopes someone can help. Last Friday, I needed to call AT&T to ask a question a...
Craigslist Housing Scam: Application Before Viewing
Warning to others, but also I’m so scared with what they have. We’re looking for a rental and came across an adorable spot on Craigslist below market. Maybe that should have been m...
Dating App Painting Scam: Check Overpayment
Hello, so I'm probably the biggest idiot ever. I matched with a girl on HER, and after a talk, we switched to Instagram. The Instagram matches the HER account. For the past few day...
Tinder match led to fake investigator call
Hello I'm very worried and would like some advice. After research, this seems like a typical dating app scam, but no money has been asked as of yet. I matched with a profile on Ti...
Romance Scam: I Was Used as a Money Mule
How bad is it? So I fell for a romance scam like an idiot. They built trust with me and I trusted like an idiot. They offered to help with a bill, at no point mentioning sending t...
Fake Doctor Romance Leads to Pregnancy Scare and Threats
Recently I met a girl online who told me she was a 24-year-old neurosurgeon trainee, trying to become a specialist in the future, and had already been working for 3 years. Within a...
Avoiding a Camper Van Scam on Facebook
I was looking for a cheap camper van, and saw a lovely one on Facebook Marketplace, not too far from me (funny how that always happens, isn't it?) I got in touch, and everything s...
Living with My Husband's Romance Scam
My husband Alan has been in a romance scam for months. I'm still living with him while it unfolds. I'm not here for advice on how to confront him - I've done enough research to kn...
National Trust tree scam cost us £300
Hello, My girlfriend was at home today and was approached by a tree salesman claiming that he worked for the National Trust and was selling trees off cheaply on their behalf. She...
Phony Sheriff Calls About a Stranger in Jail
I keep getting called about a “defendant” by name. Because of bad data in online identity connections, my name appears to be associated with this person even though I have zero rel...
I Think This Debt Collector Is Fake - But I'm Not Sure
I used to be in a very financially abusive relationship and I ended up taking out a lot of personal loans to make ends meet. Today I'm still working on crawling out of that hole, s...
Rental Scam Call Ends in Death Threat
So my girlfriend fell victim to a rental scam and sent a “landlord” her application including an address and phone number. Thankfully she didn’t Venmo them, although she came very...