Someone you met on Match wants to move to WhatsApp and never turns up on video. A few weeks in, they mention a customs fee. Most matches are who they say they are. The scams follow a handful of patterns Match has written down itself.
Short answer: Match's own safety page says most online dating scams fall into six types: romance, catfishing, crypto investment, sextortion, verification-code and gift or customs-fee scams. Match says nearly every dating scam follows one arc: approach, bond, isolate, extract. The usual tell is a match you can't meet or video chat who moves you off the app, then asks for money, a code or photos. Stop replying, keep the messages, report the profile in Match, call your bank if you paid, and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov.
The six scams on Match's own list
Match's safety page "Online dating scams: how to spot and avoid them" (published July 2026) says "Most online dating scams fall into six categories". The types and tells below are Match's. The "How it starts" column is our summary of the arc Match describes, and the last column comes from Match's and the FTC's advice.
| Scam | How it starts | The tell | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romance scam | Fast, flattering attention, then daily messages for weeks | Intense love fast, but they can never meet or video chat | Never send money to someone you haven't met in person |
| Catfishing | A polished profile with someone else's photos | Stolen photos and a life story that never checks out | Run a reverse image search on the photos |
| Crypto investment scam | A match who brings up trading or investing | A new love interest with a "can't-miss" investment tip | Don't invest with a match, even if they let you withdraw a little at first |
| Sextortion | Messages that turn sexual quickly | Fast escalation to explicit exchanges, then a threat | Stop replying, keep the messages, report it |
| Verification code scam | A request to "prove you're real" | They ask you to send them a code that was texted to you | Never share a code with anyone |
| Gift and customs-fee scam | A promised gift or package | A lavish package you must pay fees to receive | Don't pay the fee, and stop replying |
Match lists six core warning signs: they rush the relationship, they push you off the platform, they can never meet or video chat, their story wobbles, money enters the chat, and they demand secrecy. Match's rule of thumb is to treat any two of those six together as a stop and verify moment. Five checks, from Match's and the FTC's advice:
- Keep the chat in Match. Match's help pages say people with bad intentions often try to move the conversation to text, messaging apps, email or phone right away.
- Check the photos. A reverse image search of a dating profile shows whether the same pictures appear under other names.
- Search their story. Match suggests searching their name and job plus the word "scammer".
- Ask for a live video call. Match adds that deepfakes exist, so a call alone isn't total proof.
- Never send money, gift cards, crypto or a code to anyone you haven't met in person.
How a Match scam moves off the app
Match describes the sequence in four words: "approach, bond, isolate, extract." The scammer "quickly pushes the conversation off the dating platform to text or private messaging apps where safety teams can't see it". Weeks of daily contact follow. "Only then does the extraction begin," Match writes, with a crisis, an investment or a threat, and a payment that is hard to reverse: a wire transfer, gift cards, a payment app or cryptocurrency.
Match's help article "Keeping you safe on Match" lists the emergencies scammers invent: "Visa, custom fees, surgeries, family medical bills, car repairs, or plane tickets to visit you." It adds: "Often, they don't mention finances until weeks or months after they've gained your trust." A slow, patient match can still be a scam.
The cover stories explain the distance. Match's page calls military deployment "their favorite cover story". Its Dating Safety Tips add: "Watch out for scammers who claim to be from your country but are stuck somewhere else, especially if they ask for financial help to return home."
Once you're on WhatsApp or another messaging app, Match's safety teams can't see the chat, Match writes. Match Group adds that keeping the chat in the app "allows you to report concerns more easily."
What Match bans, and why it helps you spot a scammer
Match's own rules work as a red-flag list. Its Terms of Use (effective September 12, 2025) bar members from trying to "Solicit money or other items of value from another user, whether as a gift, loan, or form of compensation". Its Community Guidelines add: "Any user caught sharing their own financial account information (PayPal, Venmo, etc.) for the purpose of receiving money from other users may also be banned from Match." A match who sends you a Venmo handle or a PayPal link so you can send them money is breaking Match's rules. Match's Dating Safety Tips: "If another user asks you for money, or to invest, or to send them crypto, report it to us immediately." For the wider list of chat warning signs, see online dating red flags.
Fake "Match" emails, support numbers and code requests
Some Match scams never involve a match. Match's "Phishing Scam Emails" page says some members get emails asking for "confirmation" of their usernames and passwords, and calls them "nothing more than phishing scams attempting to collect members' sign-in information." Match's answer is short: "Remember, Match will never send emails asking for personal or account information, and certainly not for financial information."
Phone support is another tell. Match's "Contacting Match Customer Support" page says "Right now, Match DOES NOT offer support over the phone." and warns that "some websites post fake phone numbers claiming to be Match." It adds that its support team will never ask for your password, your credit card number or "Any form of payment to receive help". Treat a phone call from someone claiming to be Match support as a red flag: Match says that, right now, it doesn't offer support by phone.
Codes are the third route. Match texts a 4-digit code when you verify your phone at sign-up, and its SMS Verification page says the step is required for all subscriptions. A match who asks you to send them any code texted to you, Match's included, is running the verification code scam on Match's list. The FTC's advice from March 2024: "Never give your verification code to someone else. It's only for you to log into your account."
Forward any suspicious email to customercare@support.match.com with the word "phishing" in the subject line. If you typed in your sign-in details, Match says to sign in right away and change your password. If your password no longer works, Match says to contact it immediately through its online support form.
Match's safety tools: what each does and doesn't do
Every row below comes from Match's own help pages and Terms of Use, read on November 4, 2026. Match can change any of them.
| Tool | What it does, per Match | What it doesn't do |
|---|---|---|
| Report | From a profile or a chat, tap the 3 dots, select Report, choose a reason. Match says all reports are treated as confidential, with exceptions where required by law | Match says its team "will investigate your report and take the appropriate action." It doesn't say which action a given report leads to, or that you'll be told what happened |
| Block | Stops the member messaging you and hides their profile from you. You can block up to 2,000 members | Blocking alone doesn't alert Match. Match recommends you also report. Unblocking works on desktop only |
| "Photo Verification" | A video selfie with a liveness check and 3D face matching, to check that the person in the selfie is the same person as in the profile photos | The page doesn't say it checks a name, age, job or ID, or that every member has done it |
| Phone badge | A small phone icon after a member confirms a mobile number with a 4-digit code. Landline and VoIP numbers can't be used | Match says the phone step "allows us to make sure you are you", but the step it describes only confirms that a mobile number receives a 4-digit code. The page doesn't describe a name or ID check |
| Age and face check at sign-up | New members may be asked for a clear face photo. Automated technology checks it's a solo photo and estimates whether they're over 18 | It's an age check, not an identity or scam check |
| Automated moderation | Automated tools scan interactions on Match, and trained agents can review them, remove content, ban the user or notify law enforcement | Match's terms warn that messages on the service, including Match's own automatic notifications, may still come from people using it for fraud |
| Background checks | Match's terms say it doesn't run criminal background or identity checks on its users. Its "Colorado Safety Policy Information" page adds that Match offers an optional identity check in some markets, may ask for a photo ID if it suspects an account is inauthentic, and may check users against state sex offender registries when it has enough information | Match says it doesn't run criminal background or identity checks "on all users", and the page doesn't describe a check you can run on a match. See what a dating background check can and can't show |
Two claims need a label. Match Group's group-wide Safety page says "80% of harmful accounts are proactively removed before a user ever reports them." The page's metadata is dated June 2026, and it gives no time period for the figure. That is the company measuring itself across all its apps, and it isn't a Match.com figure. On Face Check, the video-selfie tool Match Group uses, a minority staff report from the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (October 2026) says: "The company recently announced that it will deploy Face Check across additional platforms, including Match (formerly known as Match.com)." No Match help page read on November 4, 2026 says it's live there.
So read a badge narrowly. On Match it tells you a face matched a set of photos, or that a phone number works, and nothing about intentions. Match's terms say members should "carefully review and independently verify Member Content for accuracy."
Why the FTC sued Match, and how the case ended
This is general information, not legal advice.
The complaint (September 2019). The FTC sued Match Group, Inc., "alleging that the company used fake love interest advertisements to trick hundreds of thousands of consumers into purchasing paid subscriptions on Match.com." The FTC alleged that millions of the contacts behind Match's "You caught his eye" emails to free members came from accounts Match had already flagged as likely fraudulent, while paying subscribers were shielded from them. The FTC also alleged that Match "unfairly exposed consumers to the risk of fraud". These were allegations, never findings. The FTC's other charges covered a six-month "guarantee" with poorly disclosed conditions, members banned after disputing charges, and a cancellation process that was hard to find.
Match Group's response. Per the Joint Economic Committee report, "Match Group disputed the FTC's characterization of its practices and emphasized its anti-fraud efforts," and said most accounts the FTC called scammers were spammers and bots.
The March 2022 ruling. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas dismissed two of the FTC's counts with prejudice: the count about the love-interest emails, and the count titled "Exposing Consumers to Risk of Fraud", which said Match gave recent subscribers "access to communications that [Match] knew were likely to have been sent by persons engaging in fraud." The court ruled that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the federal law that shields online services from liability for content other people post, protects Match from those counts. The ruling did not decide whether the FTC's account was true. The guarantee, billing-dispute and cancellation claims went on.
The August 2025 settlement. The case settled in June 2025, before trial. The FTC announced on August 12, 2025 that Match Group had agreed to pay $14 million, and the court entered the order on August 13, 2025. The order says the defendants "neither admit nor deny any of the allegations in the Complaint". It requires Match to disclose the guarantee's conditions clearly, give consumers "simple mechanisms for a consumer to stop recurring charges", and stop denying paid-for service to members who dispute a charge, though Match may still suspend service while a dispute is pending. It doesn't cover scam accounts. The FTC said it will use the money for redress to consumers; the first page of its refund programs list showed no Match program when read on November 4, 2026.
How big romance scams are in the US
No official source we read on November 4, 2026 gives a current scam count for Match.com itself. When the FTC announced its lawsuit in September 2019, it said that "as many as 25 to 30 percent of Match.com members who register each day are using Match.com to attempt to perpetrate scams". The complaint dates that figure to 2013 through mid-2018. Those were allegations, and the court later dismissed the FTC's claims about scam accounts. The national figures cover far more than dating apps.
People reported losing $929,287,469 to confidence and romance scams in 2025 across 23,159 complaints, according to the FBI IC3 2025 Internet Crime Report. IC3's category includes the grandparent scheme and other family scams, so it's wider than dating. For the age breakdown, see signs of a romance scammer.
Reported romance scam losses rose 22% in 2025, the FTC said in a May 2026 consumer alert. The Joint Economic Committee minority staff report from October 2026 put the FTC's 2025 total at nearly $1.5 billion, citing FTC data. Many of these didn't start on a dating app at all: nearly 60% of people who reported losing money to a romance scam in 2025 said it started on social media, according to an FTC alert from April 2026. Some sites are built to deceive from the start; see fake dating sites.
If it's a parent on Match
In its October 2026 report to Congress on older consumers, based on 2025 reports, the FTC found that adults 60 and over were 48% more likely to report a loss on a romance scam than younger people, after adjusting for population. The same report says gift cards were the payment method older adults reported most often on romance scams. Our guide to why scammers want gift cards explains why.
Ask open questions and offer to sit with them while they report the profile. The U.S. Department of Justice's National Elder Fraud Hotline, 833-372-8311, is a free resource for reporting fraud against anyone 60 or older, open Monday to Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. eastern time. The AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline, 877-908-3360, is also free.
What to do if a Match scammer targeted you
- Stop sending money and stop replying. Match's advice is to "stop responding immediately".
- Keep the messages. Screenshot the profile, the chat, any phone numbers, wallet addresses and receipts before you block.
- Report the profile in Match. Open their profile or your chat, tap the 3 dots, select Report and choose the reason. Then block. Our guide to how to report a romance scammer covers other apps and agencies.
- Call your bank, card issuer or payment app right away. The FTC's advice: "Tell them you paid a scammer and ask them to refund your money." If crypto was involved, read crypto romance scams first.
- Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and with the FBI at ic3.gov. IC3 says to file a report even if you're unsure your complaint qualifies.
- Watch for the second scam. Match warns that people who later promise to recover your money for an upfront fee are "a second scam aimed at the same victims." See recovery scams.
If you are in danger, call 911. Match's Dating Safety Tips say a bad experience "is not your fault, and help is available."
On refunds: no Match page read on November 4, 2026 says Match repays money a member sent to a scammer. That money comes back, if it does, through the bank, card issuer or payment service you used.
A next step before you meet
If a match gave you an email or a phone number, TrulyWho checks their usernames on 400+ sites and which sites the email is registered on, in about a minute. For a US or Canadian number, it looks up who the number belongs to. You can add a photo from their profile to see whether it appears on other pages. TrulyWho is not a consumer reporting agency, so don't use it for decisions about jobs, tenants, credit, housing or insurance. For the meeting itself, see how to stay safe on a first date.
FAQ
Is Match.com legit or full of scammers?
Match.com is a real dating service owned by Match Group, which also owns Tinder and Hinge. Most matches are who they say they are, but scammers use Match, as they use other dating apps. The FTC sued Match Group in 2019. The case ended in August 2025 with a $14 million order about guarantees, billing disputes and cancellation, with no admission of wrongdoing.
Why was Match.com sued by the FTC?
In September 2019 the FTC alleged that Match used love-interest emails, many from accounts it had flagged as likely fraudulent, to sell subscriptions. It also alleged a misleading guarantee and a hard cancellation process. In March 2022 a federal court dismissed two claims under Section 230, about the love-interest emails and about exposing subscribers to likely fraud, without deciding whether they were true. The rest ended in a $14 million court order in August 2025, and Match neither admitted nor denied the allegations.
How do I report a scammer on Match.com?
Take screenshots of the profile and chat first. Then open the member's profile or your chat with them, tap the 3 dots in the top right corner, select Report and choose the reason, and block them. Match says reports are confidential. If you lost money, also report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov.
How can I tell if a Match.com profile is fake?
Watch for photos that show up under other names in a reverse image search, and any request for money, crypto or a code. Match lists six warning signs: a match who rushes the relationship, pushes you off the app, can never meet or video chat, tells a story that shifts, brings up money, or asks you to keep it secret. Match says to treat any two of those together as a moment to stop and verify.
What should I do about a Match phishing email or a hacked Match account?
Match says it never emails asking for account or financial information. Forward the email to customercare@support.match.com with "phishing" in the subject line. If you entered your sign-in details, sign in and change your password right away. If your password no longer works, contact Match through its online support form immediately.
Can I get money back from Match after a scam?
Don't expect it. No Match page read on November 4, 2026 says Match repays money sent to a scammer. Call your bank, card issuer or payment app right away and say you paid a scammer, then report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov.
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