Texas Romance Scams on the Rise: Stay Protected!

Romance scams can happen any time of the year, not only on Valentine's Day. Did you also know that Texas is home to over 3,000,000 singles, and some just want to find love. They crave that special person with whom they can share their most vulnerable selves in hopes of finding acceptance and an eternal bond... others just want to scam people.

What are Romance Scams?

Unfortunately, there are some people out there who want to prey on the vulnerability of single people looking for love. In Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton urges citizens to be on the lookout for these criminals.

A common tactic is for scammers to reach out through dating sites or even general social media accounts. First, they attempt to gain your trust with kind words and flattery before making excuses as to why they can't meet up with their victim in person.

Paxton's office also includes, in their message, that scammers may move forward with the "relationship" quickly, telling you they love you after only a brief period of time.

Then, the inevitable happens: they end up asking you for money. Usually, it's about something urgent and the funds must be transferred quickly or else something bad will happen. Sometimes, they will even ask for you to wire money from your account or even to send gift cards.

How to Report Romance Scams in Texas

Paxton's office concludes their warning by urging Texans to do their research if they feel they might be getting scammed. There are multiple methods you can use, such as getting a second opinion on your conversation or reverse image searching their profile picture to see if they are using a stock image.

If you, or someone you know, feel like you are being played by a romance scammer, report it to your local law enforcement or even the Federal Trade Commission.