Meeting new people can be exciting, especially during Love Month, when emotions run high and the desire for human connection feels stronger. But not everything—or everyone—you meet online is as genuine as it seems. What may feel like love at first sight could actually be a scam, designed to steal not your heart, but your hard-earned money.

At CIMB Bank PH, your security is our top priority. While we can’t control who you meet online, we want to help you stay cautious about love scams.

What are love scams?

Love scams often start on social media, dating apps, or messaging platforms. Scammers create fake profiles so they can easily lure you, build a sense of connection, and establish trust. Their main tactic is to invest their time in long conversations that would make them appear sincere.

Once they have your trust, these scammers tend to request money, claiming that they have encountered emergencies or accidents that only you can help with.

If the scam succeeds, they will block your account, deactivate the profiles they used, and create new ones to target others.

How to spot a love scam

To prevent falling for these love scams, watch out for these red flags:

Insists your relationship should be a secret. They ask that you keep them hidden from your friends and family, so that no one can warn you about their suspicious behavior.

Avoids meeting in person. They will always come up with excuses to never meet you face-to-face, so you can’t verify their identity.

Uses overly dramatic stories to gain sympathy. They will manipulate your feelings about fake emergencies, tragedies, or emotional crises so you’ll feel guilty about being a bad partner if you don’t help them.

Asks you for money and pressures you to send it fast. Their requests are always urgent, so you won’t have enough time to think things through.

How to protect yourself

Here’s how you can stay cautious while forming connections online.

Take it slow. Genuine relationships develop gradually. If someone rushes you with money requests early on, stop.

Verify their identity. Check their photos and social media profiles, if possible.

Never send money to someone you’ve only met online. Sending money early often leads to repeated requests and bigger losses, stay cautious.

Trust your instincts. If something makes you uncomfortable about them, pause and double-check.

Remember, these scammers know exactly how to play with your feelings. Love is sweet, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of your financial wellbeing.

Bank safely and securely from anywhere with your CIMB Bank PH app!

If you notice any suspicious activity in your account, just tap the Help Center on the CIMB Bank PH app or visit www.cimbbank.com.ph/ContactUs. CIMB Bank PH is regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

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