Never Send Money to Someone You Have Only Met Online

Romance scams follow a recognizable pattern: intense affection within days, a reluctance to video call or meet in person, and eventually a crisis — a medical bill, a stuck shipment, a visa fee — that only your money can solve. The story is built to feel urgent and personal, so you don't stop to question it.

The rule that protects you is absolute: never send money, gift cards, or crypto to someone you haven't met face to face, no matter how real the connection feels or how convincing the emergency sounds. If they resist a video call or a real meeting after weeks of talking, that resistance is the answer, not a detail to overlook.