Dating Scam Detector is a free, anonymous tool that checks a message, screenshot, or description of an online dating situation for indicators commonly associated with romance scams — patterns like urgency, requests for money or gift cards, love bombing, reluctance to video call, and pressure to move off the dating platform.

Dating Scam Detector is run by the same independent team behind It's Not U, It's Me, a breakup-line generator and relationship-advice resource included on this site as a companion section. We built the scam detector after noticing how often the same manipulation patterns that show up at the end of a relationship — love bombing, guilt, urgency, isolation from friends and family — also show up at the start of a romance scam.

What the tool does and doesn't do

The free checker analyzes text you provide against a rules-based list of known romance-scam indicators and reports an overall risk level with an explanation for each flag raised. It does not verify anyone's real identity, does not access any dating platform's data, and cannot tell you with certainty whether a specific person is or isn't a scammer — it highlights patterns worth taking seriously, not a verdict.

Free and paid features

The core message check is, and will remain, free with no account required. Optional paid upgrades — a Deep Scan of a full conversation, a downloadable Safety Report, and the Dating Safety Guardian annual plan — fund the ongoing cost of running and improving the tool.

Not a substitute for professional help or law enforcement

This is an educational resource, not a law enforcement service, a private investigator, or legal advice. If you believe you're being scammed or have already lost money, please contact your bank or payment provider and a fraud authority (CAFC, FTC, Action Fraud, or Scamwatch depending on your country) directly — see our guides for country-specific reporting links.

About the Author

Paul Kendall

Paul Kendall

Paul Kendall is the founder and publisher of Dating Scam Detector (datingscamdetector.com). He spent a decade in the newspaper industry before moving into independent digital publishing, and writes and edits the site's guides on romance-scam tactics and online dating safety. He is not a law enforcement officer, licensed investigator, or attorney, and this site's content is educational, not a substitute for professional or legal advice.

See our Editorial Policy for how guides are researched, sourced, and updated, and our Corrections Policy to flag an error.

Contact

Feedback, a scam pattern you think we're missing, or a partnership inquiry: see our Contact page.