How romance fraud criminals ask for money
Have you been asked for money or gift cards or to invest?
When immersed in the fraud it is almost impossible to see what your logical brain would tell you is wrong. This is a normal part of having been manipulated the way you have. Coercive and controlling behaviour can have a chilling effect. To find out more about how criminals ask for money in these frauds, please tap the button. Lists are not comprehensive.
Asking for money
Scammers have a multitude of ‘formats’ when it comes to asking for money. They call them ‘billing formats’ and you are the ‘client’. To them, this is business.
While some initial asks will be testing the water, others will be placed with a time pressured necessity. The two most powerful emotions are love and fear. Put both together and you have a dangerous combination to push people into behaving in ways they normally wouldn’t.
Key notes
- Genuine people will never ask you for money, especially if you haven’t met them in real life or known them for long.
- Even if it feels normal in the story you’ve been told, it is always a red flag—scammers create convincing lies to manipulate trust.
- No one who truly cares about you would pressure you to send money.
- A genuine person won’t make you feel guilty for saying no. If you feel pressured, step back—it’s manipulation, not love.
Some of the billing formats can be used across all of the scenarios used by scammers. Others can be specific to that particular scenario. These lists are not comprehensive.
If the criminal has your bank details, it is important to alert the bank immediately. After the fraud, they can sometimes load accounts with money with the intention of blackmailing the victims with threats of alerting authorities that they are part of the fraud, if they do not comply with moving the money on and often in crypto currency.
Need help with reporting and getting safe?
Please click the link to find more help to get safe after the fraud.
Are you eligible for reimbursement?
In the U.K. you may be able to claim for reimbursement.