Step 1: This is early on in the fraud as a connection is being sought by the criminal. No contact details have yet been exchanged nor personal information given such as ID documents.

Step 2: Details have been exchanged e.g, email, a chat app, or phone number. Scammers aim to get you off the platform you met on fairly quickly because they don’t want to lose your connection, should their fake profile be reported and removed. Once you have given your contact information, you will find that you will get increased amounts of spam and/or cold calls, along with further attempts at connecting with another identity.

Step 3 (may include Step 2): person has sent you their ID and/or they have requested to see some of your ID documentation. No money has been sent. If have been talking for a while and the criminal has coerced you into sending some ID documents (such as driving licence or passport, IDme or SSN), you must inform the relevant department that your document has been compromised. Criminals will often try to use these to open bank accounts or other types of online fraud, in your name.

Step 4 (may include prior steps): Further into the fraud, the criminals will have attempted to either ask for gift cards or other types of money transfer. This may include asking you to look after money for them while their bank account is frozen.

Step 5: It is always painful and frustrating when from the outside, you can see that a loved one is immersed in a fraud and they cannot hear what you are telling them. Please don’t give up on them. Click the button for more advice.