---
title: "Spot a romance scam"
description: "The warning signs that someone on a dating app wants your money and not a relationship, and what to do when you see them."
url: https://help.murudo.co/safety/spot-a-scam/
section: "Safety and reporting"
applies_to: "Android app, Murudo Web"
updated: 2026-10-13
---

# Spot a romance scam

The warning signs that someone on a dating app wants your money and not a relationship, and what to do when you see them.

A romance scammer builds trust quickly and then asks for something: money, airtime, a code or private pictures. If someone you have not met in person asks for any of these, stop, report them and block them. Being targeted does not mean you did anything wrong.

## Warning signs

- **Money before you have met.** EcoCash, airtime, a data bundle, or "transport money" so they can come and see you. Also a hospital bill, school fees, a funeral or some other sudden emergency.
- **Abroad, and never able to video call.** They say they live or work overseas, the camera is always broken, and then they need help with a flight, a visa, customs or bank fees. Often a parcel or a payment is "on its way" to you.
- **An investment offer.** Forex, crypto, betting tips or a business that cannot lose, usually with screenshots of profits and an "agent" or a website to deposit with.
- **Leaving Murudo in a hurry.** They want to move to another chat app within the first few messages, before you know them. Read [When to share your number or move to another app](https://help.murudo.co/matches-and-chat/sharing-your-number/).
- **Too much, too soon.** Strong feelings within days, big promises, and vague answers to simple questions about their life.
- **Private pictures.** They ask for intimate photos or a video call, then threaten to share them unless you pay. Read [Someone shared or threatened to share my private pictures](https://help.murudo.co/safety/private-images-shared-or-threatened/).
- **Codes, PINs and passwords.** They ask for a code sent to your phone or email, your EcoCash PIN, or your Murudo password.
- **Photos that do not fit.** Model-quality pictures, no **Verified** badge, and a story that changes when you ask about it.

One sign by itself may mean nothing. A request for money is enough to stop.

## What Murudo will never do

- Ask you to send or read out your password, your EcoCash PIN or a code. You only ever type a code into the Murudo screen that asked for it, and your PIN into the EcoCash prompt on your own phone.
- Ask you to pay a person. You pay for Murudo only on its own payment screens in the app or on Murudo Web, never by sending money to another member. See [Is it safe to pay on Murudo?](https://help.murudo.co/premium-and-payments/is-it-safe-to-pay/)
- Ask for money or a code through a match's chat. Messages from Murudo arrive in the **Inbox** on your **Profile** tab, or by email. A match who says they work for Murudo and asks for money or a code is not acting for Murudo.

## What to do

1. Stop. Do not send money, codes or pictures, and do not argue.
2. Take screenshots of the profile and the messages.
3. Report the person and choose the scam reason (**Spam or scam** on a match's profile, **Scam or fraud** in **Report an Issue**), then block them. See [Report someone](https://help.murudo.co/safety/report-someone/).
4. If you have already sent money, read [Someone asked me for money](https://help.murudo.co/safety/someone-asked-me-for-money/).

> [!WARNING]
> The Safety Center's own advice: never share financial information or send money to someone you have not met.