DateableShould you report a scammer if you lost nothing?
Yes: reporting removes the profile before it reaches someone else, and it takes five minutes. Here's what to include and where.
Report the profile anyway. Getting it removed before the scammer moves on to someone else takes five minutes, and researchers show that people fooled without losing money still suffer real distress 1. Reporting is how you keep that distress from happening to the next person.
Scammers target people looking for connection
A scammer's job is to build trust first and extract money or information later. They may stop messaging you, or you may catch on before they ask for anything. Either way, the profile is still there, still searching for the next person to contact. 2 Researchers found that victims need easier ways to report and more comfort doing it. Reporting fills that gap.
The person who falls for the next scam might not catch on as quickly as you did. They might send money, share photos, or give up personal details before they realise what happened. By reporting now, you remove that option.
Distress is real, even without money
You may not have lost anything, but you lost time and trust. You opened up to someone who was not who they claimed. Research on romance scams shows that 1 people fooled without losing money still report significant distress. That feeling is valid and common.
Some people feel embarrassed and do not report at all. Do not let that silence protect the scammer. Your report is not a confession; it is information. It says: this profile is not real, the person behind it is not trustworthy, and the next person should not spend their time and emotion on them.
You know the red flags
You recognised something was not right. They may have professed feelings without meeting you, avoided video calls with endless excuses, moved your chat to WhatsApp or another app, or started making requests that felt off. 3 You read the profile and the messages, and something in you said no. Trust that instinct.
A few patterns show up across scams:
- They claim to live near you but work somewhere remote: the military, an oil rig, overseas.
- They say they are falling for you without ever suggesting to meet.
- They ask you to move to private messaging outside Dateable.
- They ask for money, gift cards, cryptocurrency or investment opportunities.
- They ask for photos, videos, or personal information like your real name or address.
What to tell Dateable when you report
You don't need to write an essay. Give Dateable the facts: what they said, when they said it, and what made you certain it was a scam. If they asked for money or photos, mention it. If they tried to move you off the platform, note that too. Keep it short and specific.
I matched with this person three weeks ago. In messages they said they love me and want to marry me, but when I suggested a video call they said their camera is broken. Then they asked me to send them photos and money for a plane ticket to meet me. I'm certain this is a scam.
Report and block the profile right from their message or listing. A person reads your report and makes a decision about whether the profile stays or goes.
What you'll need for your national scam service
After you report to Dateable, report to the scam service in your country. They help other people and they build the pattern of where scams come from. You'll give them your report number from Dateable (if you got one), their profile name, the dates you messaged, and what they tried to get you to do.
A few links to get you started:
- Australia: Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au
- United States: Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov
- United Kingdom: Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040
- Canada: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca
- New Zealand: Netsafe or your local police
What happens after you report
Dateable removes the profile if the report is clear. The scammer loses access to the messages and can't contact you again. They may come back under a different name, but each report makes it harder: they can't use the same photos, and the patterns get flagged.
When you report to a national scam service, the information goes into a database. If thousands of people report the same patterns, regulators can track down the scammer, warn banks, and alert other platforms. Your single report feeds into that bigger picture.
The distress you felt was real, even if you caught on in time. Reporting does not erase it, but it stops them reaching the next person who might not be as careful. Here's how to protect your account after a close call: a strong password, a clear profile, and boundaries around what you share before you meet.
You are not alone
Scammers are persistent because online dating gives them access to a lot of people. They bank on the fact that most people who catch on will not report. They stay quiet, delete the conversation, and move on. That silence is what keeps the scammer searching. When you report, you break that pattern.
Sources
- Buchanan, T., & Whitty, M. T. (2013). The online dating romance scam: causes and consequences of victimhood.
- Whitty, M. T., & Buchanan, T. (2012). The Online Romance Scam: A Serious Cybercrime.
- Scamwatch (ACCC) (2026). Relationship scams.
