Romance Scam Red Flags Checklist™

Something feels slightly off, and you cannot say why.

That is the moment this romance scam red flags checklist is for. Fifteen honest questions about the person you have been talking to. One straight assessment at the end. No judgement, no lecture, and if the answer is bad news, exactly what to do first.

What the romance scam red flags checklist tells you

Romance fraud is run by organised criminal teams working from scripts, in shifts, with training manuals. The person in the photographs almost always exists and has no idea their pictures are being used. Being targeted says nothing about your intelligence, and this tool starts by saying that clearly, because shame is the reason most romance fraud is never reported. It is exactly what the people running the scam are counting on.

Fifteen weighted questions, four verdict bands

The tool scores your answers across three areas that settle it on their own (money, moving money or parcels, investment introductions), the strong signals (video, meetings, isolation, pace), and the supporting patterns. You get one of four verdict bands from URGENT down to FEW FLAGS, and the response is tailored to which one you land on.

If the romance scam red flags checklist says URGENT

• Stop sending anything: money, codes, documents. Whatever reason is given, it will not be the last request.
• Contact your bank today. Recent transfers can sometimes be recalled, and speed is the biggest factor.
• If you have been moving money or parcels for them, tell your bank that too. Doing it unknowingly is common, and raising it yourself is far better than them finding it.
• Save the evidence before you block. Screenshots of the profile, the chats, the payment details.
• Report to the platform, your bank, and the police. In Sweden, polisen.se or 114 14.
• Tell one person you trust. Not for advice, so you are not carrying it alone.

If you are not sure yet, five tests you can do today

The checklist also covers the “real concerns” middle ground. Ask for an unplanned video call. Reverse image search their photos. Ask something specific and local. Say no to a small request and watch what happens. Tell one friend the whole story out loud. A genuine person passes all five without difficulty.

What’s included in the romance scam red flags checklist

• Interactive weighted assessment with four verdict bands (HTML, works offline, nothing you enter leaves the page)
• 4-page PDF playbook including the money-mule warning and the numbers to call in Sweden
• Full act-now sequence and the five verification tests
• Written in plain language, with the shame factor addressed directly rather than tiptoed around

Who this is for

Anyone who has been talking to someone online, or someone they met on an app, and started to feel something is not adding up. Also for the friend or family member watching it unfold from outside. The most helpful thing you can do for someone in this position is run this with them, not at them.

Want someone to actually check who they are?

Our Personal Investigation Services verify whether the person is real: reverse image tracing, identity and background checks, and a written report you can act on. Discreet, and we have done this many times.

Download the romance scam red flags checklist free. Fifteen minutes now might be the best fifteen minutes of the year.