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CRITICAL THREAT

Romance Scam — Love & Dating Fraud

Love & Dating Fraud·Increasing (2024-2025) cases·Significant — often unreported due to shame losses·Updated 6 May 2026

Romance scams are among the most emotionally devastating fraud types in Malaysia. Victims often lose between RM 50,000 and RM 500,000 or more — and many never report the crime due to shame and embarrassment. This makes official statistics significantly undercount the true scale of the problem.

How it works

  1. First contact — The scammer approaches you on dating apps (Tinder, Bumble, Coffee Meets Bagel), Facebook, Instagram, or even LinkedIn. Their profile shows an attractive person — often using stolen photos or increasingly, photos generated by artificial intelligence that look completely real.
  2. The relationship — Over weeks or months, they build an intense emotional connection. Daily messages, phone calls, sweet words, future plans together. They claim to be overseas (military deployment, working on an oil rig, international business) which explains why they cannot meet in person.
  3. The crisis — Once the emotional bond is strong, a sudden emergency appears: a medical bill, a business deal gone wrong, customs fees for a "gift" sent to you, or travel costs to finally visit Malaysia and meet you.
  4. Repeated requests — After the first payment, new emergencies keep appearing. Each time, the scammer reassures you that everything will be fine once they can access their own funds (which are "temporarily frozen" or "stuck in customs").
  5. The disappearance — When you can no longer pay, or when you become suspicious, the person vanishes completely — deleting their profile and blocking your number.

Scammers now use deepfake video calls to appear as the person in their photos. They may video-call you briefly, making you believe you have "seen" the real person. Some operate from organised syndicates with scripted conversations and shared databases of victims.

Contrary to stereotypes, victims include successful professionals, business owners, and educated individuals of all ages. Loneliness, recent divorce, bereavement, or isolation are common factors that scammers exploit. Both men and women are targeted.

⚠ Red Flags

  • !Refuses video calls — or uses very brief, low-quality video. Deepfake technology exists but is not perfect. If video calls are always avoided or extremely short, be cautious.
  • !Relationship moves unusually fast — Declarations of love within days or weeks, especially before meeting in person.
  • !Always has excuses not to meet — Deployment, travel restrictions, work emergencies — there is always a reason they cannot come to Malaysia.
  • !Requests money via unusual channels — Cryptocurrency, gift cards (iTunes, Steam), Western Union, or wire transfers to foreign accounts. Legitimate partners do not ask for money this way.
  • !Story inconsistencies — Details change between conversations. Time zones do not match their claimed location. Their English switches between fluent and broken.
  • !Isolation tactics — "Don't tell your friends about us yet" or getting upset when you mention discussing the relationship with others.
  • !Too perfect — Extremely attractive, says exactly what you want to hear, has no flaws, shares all your interests.

🛡 How to Protect Yourself

  1. 1Reverse-image-search their photos — Use Google Images or TinEye to check if their profile pictures appear elsewhere online under a different name.
  2. 2Never send money to someone you have not met in person — No matter how strong the emotional connection feels. A real partner will understand.
  3. 3Insist on a live, unscripted video call — Ask them to do something specific and spontaneous (hold up today's newspaper, wave with their left hand). Deepfakes struggle with unscripted actions.
  4. 4Talk to friends or family — Share the relationship details with someone you trust. An outside perspective often spots what emotion blinds you to.
  5. 5Check their story — Verify their claimed workplace, military unit, or company. Search their name alongside words like "scam" or "fraud."
  6. 6Be especially cautious if they claim to be overseas — The "overseas" cover story is used in the vast majority of romance scams because it explains why they cannot meet.

📞 How to Report

  1. 1National Scam Response Centre (NSRC): Call 997 (24/7 hotline)
  2. 2PDRM Commercial Crime Division: Lodge a police report — your report helps police identify patterns and syndicates
  3. 3CCID Check Scam portal: ccid.rmp.gov.my/semakmule
  4. 4The dating platform: Report the profile so it can be removed and investigated
  5. 5Bank Negara Malaysia: 1-300-88-5465

Want to learn more?

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