Common scripts in 2026
Scammers love engineered intimacy: nightly voice notes, pet names within days, urgent barriers (“my mother is in surgery overseas”). They eventually pivot to encrypted apps or wire transfers. Legitimate matches may move slowly to phone—but they do not combine pity stories with bank instructions.
If you suspect a scam
Screenshot messages, report inside the app, block, and—if funds moved—contact your bank immediately. File FTC reports in the U.S.; they aggregate signal for law enforcement.
Emotional recovery matters
Shame delays reporting. Remember: professional fraud teams script love-bombing. Talking to a therapist or trusted friend debriefs the cognitive dissonance faster than isolating with guilt.