Romance Scams
Affection used as a lever. The relationship is built to feel real and fast, and the ask — always for money — arrives wrapped in it. The photos are usually stolen; your feelings are the only real thing in it.
Romance Scam
A profile that is a little too perfect builds a relationship fast, then — always before you have met in person — an emergency arrives that only money can fix. The person may not exist; the photos are usually stolen. Affection is the lever, and the asks do not stop after the first one.
Military Romance Scam
A romance scam in a uniform: the scammer claims to be a deployed service member, leans on stolen photos and a patriotic backstory, and uses "deployment" to explain why you can never meet or video chat. The military does not need your money to bring someone home on leave.
Sextortion Scam
Someone claims to have intimate images of you and threatens to send them to your contacts unless you pay — often when they have nothing at all. Paying only proves you will pay again. This increasingly targets teenagers, and the move is the same: stop responding, save everything, and report it.
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