Staying safe while dating over 50

The one rule that matters most

Never send money to someone you have met online. Not for a plane ticket, a customs fee, a medical bill, a business deal or a "temporary" loan. Not as gift cards, crypto, a wire transfer or cash in the mail. Not even if they have an ID badge, and not even after months of daily messages.

That single rule defeats nearly every romance scam, because money is the whole point of one. A romance scam is a fake relationship built online to get money from you. The Federal Trade Commission says Americans aged 60 and over reported losing about $2.4 billion to fraud in 2024, up roughly fourfold since 2020, and that older adults were much more likely than younger ones to report losing money to romance scams.

What does Just Senior Singles check?

Every photo is reviewed before it appears, but what members write about themselves is not checked. It helps to know exactly what's been checked before you trust what you see:

Profiles are also shared with partner sites in the same network, so some people who message you will have joined a different site. Each profile shows where the member joined. How it works explains the network in more detail.

Warning signs of a romance scam

Scammers follow a script, and the same signs turn up again and again. Any one of these is a reason to slow down; two or more is a reason to stop.

• They fall for you very fast. Talk of love or destiny within days, often in long, polished messages.
• They want to leave the site quickly. They push you to move to text, a messaging app or email, away from where you met.
• They can never meet or video call. The camera is always broken, the signal is always bad, the trip always gets cancelled.
• They work somewhere far away. An oil rig, a military posting, a ship, a construction contract overseas, a medical mission.
• A crisis arrives. A hospital bill, a frozen bank account, a customs charge, a lawyer's fee, a ticket to come and see you.
• They ask you to keep it private. Scammers want you away from family and friends who might ask questions.
• They offer to make you money. An "investment opportunity", often in crypto, is another way the story ends in a request for money.

Romance scams aimed at people over 50 goes through each stage in detail, and how to spot a fake dating profile shows how to check someone's photos.

Simple habits that keep you safe

A handful of habits, used every time, protect you without spoiling the fun.

• Keep the conversation on the site until you've met in person. If something goes wrong, there's a record.
• Video call before you meet. A real person who's interested in you will find a way. Our guide to video calls shows how to set one up. The FBI warns that criminals now use AI to make convincing photos and even video, so a call is a good check, not a guarantee; the money rule still applies.
• Share less at first. Hold back your home address, workplace, financial details and anything that could answer a bank's security questions.
• Tell someone. Let a friend or family member know who you're talking to. A second opinion is the best scam filter there is.
• Keep money and romance apart in the early months. Money and a new partner after 50 covers how to handle it when things do get serious.

How to meet in person safely

Meet in a busy public place in daytime, get there and home under your own steam, and tell a friend where you'll be and when to expect a call. Keep the first date short. Meeting a match in person for the first time has a full checklist. If you ever feel in danger, call 911 in the US or Canada, 999 in the UK, or 000 in Australia.

What to do if you think you've been scammed

Act quickly and in this order: stop, call your bank, keep the evidence, then report.

1. Stop all contact. Don't tell them you suspect a scam; just stop replying.
2. Call your bank or card provider straight away, using the number on your card or their official website, not a number the other person gave you.
3. Keep everything: messages, profile names, payment receipts, phone numbers.
4. Report the profile through the members help center so it can be looked at.
5. Report the scam to the official body for your country, below.

Feeling embarrassed is normal and it is not your fault. These are organized criminals who do this all day. Reporting helps stop the next person being targeted.

Where to report a scam

Each country has its own official reporting body. Use the one for where you live:

Where to report a romance scam, country by country has more detail on what each body does and what to have ready when you call.