9 Red Flags of a Scammer in Online Chat (and What to Do)

Most strangers you meet online are just people looking for a conversation. But scammers know that too, and they've become very good at blending in. Losses reported to the FBI from online fraud now run into the billions of dollars every year, and romance and "pig-butchering" investment scams are among the most damaging.

The good news: almost every scam follows the same script. Learn the script, and you'll spot it early.

The 9 Red Flags

1. They want to move you to another app, fast

"This app is glitchy, add me on WhatsApp / Telegram / Snapchat." Scammers want you off moderated platforms and onto ones where they can't be reported or banned. This is the single most common early warning sign.

2. Intense affection, very quickly

Calling you "soulmate", "my love" or saying they've never felt this way within hours or days is known as love-bombing. Real connection takes time.

3. Their story is perfect and slightly unreachable

Overseas soldier, oil-rig engineer, doctor on a mission, wealthy widow: a life that sounds impressive but conveniently prevents them from meeting or video calling.

4. They can never video call

Always a broken camera, bad signal or a reason "next week". If someone says they're serious about you but avoids any proof they're real, believe the avoidance.

5. A sudden emergency

A medical bill, a stuck customs fee, a frozen bank account, a ticket to come and see you. The emergency always comes with a deadline and always costs money.

6. An "amazing" investment or crypto opportunity

They casually mention how much they make trading, then offer to "teach" you on a special platform. Early "profits" may even look real, until you try to withdraw. This is the classic pig-butchering scam.

7. They ask for gift cards, crypto or wire transfers

These payment methods are almost impossible to reverse. No legitimate person asks a new online acquaintance to pay in gift cards. Ever.

8. Pressure to share intimate photos

Sextortion often starts with flattery and a request for explicit images, followed by a threat to share them with your friends or family unless you pay. It targets everyone, especially young men.

9. Questions that build a profile of you

Your full name, workplace, home town, school, the names of family members: details that help them find you elsewhere, or answer your account-security questions.

What to Do If You Spot One

• Stop replying. You don't need to explain or argue. Scammers are trained to talk you round.
• Block and report them on the platform you met them on. On Bubbles, reports are reviewed by our team and repeat offenders are banned.
• Never send money, however convincing the story.
• If you've already sent money, contact your bank or card provider immediately, then report it: reportfraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov in the US, or Action Fraud in the UK.

If You're Being Threatened With Images

If someone is threatening to share intimate images of you: don't pay (it rarely makes them stop), stop responding, keep screenshots as evidence, and report it to the platform and the police. If the images were taken when you were under 18, the free service Take It Down can help remove them. Adults can use StopNCII.org. You did nothing wrong, and you're not alone. This happens to a huge number of people.

How Platform Design Helps

Scams thrive where people have permanent profiles, public photos and no moderation. Anonymous, moderated chat removes a lot of their leverage: there's no profile to research and no feed to mine, and chats that disappear leave nothing to collect. On Bubbles, sexual content also requires both people to opt in, which makes "send me a photo" pressure much harder to apply.

For the full checklist, read our online safety tips and is anonymous chat safe?

Want to chat where safety is built in? Try Bubbles. It's free and anonymous, and it's for adults 18+.