Guide for Canadian households
When Trust Is Built to Be Used
Romance fraud rarely starts with a request for money. It starts with attention: a kind message, shared interests, a daily conversation. Weeks or months later the relationship is turned toward money, cryptocurrency, account access or secrecy, and by then saying no can feel like betraying someone you care about.
Read time: About 5 minutes
Published: September 15, 2026
Prepared by: The Fraud Doctor
Evidence reviewed: September 25, 2026
Concerned right now?
Do not send more money, cryptocurrency, gift cards or verification codes, and do not give anyone access to your device.
Call your bank on the number on your card and keep the messages.
View Canadian fraud-response stepsHow the Relationship Is Engineered
The offender builds a believable identity, often someone working abroad, in the military, on an oil rig or travelling for business, and becomes part of the person’s daily routine.
The conversation moves to a private messaging app. There is always a reason a video call or a meeting cannot happen. Small favours test how far trust will stretch.
Then comes the turn: a medical emergency, a customs fee, a frozen bank account, or an investment they say has worked well for them. Some are asked to receive and forward money, which can expose them to legal risk. Others face pressure over intimate images.
Warning Signs That Mean Stop
A video call, a voice, documents or a small repayment do not prove who someone is. If money has already moved, use the fraud-response steps at the top of this page now.
- You have never met in person, and video calls always fail or are brief and blurry.
- Strong feelings are declared quickly, and the conversation moves to a private app.
- Money, gift cards, cryptocurrency or help with an investment is requested.
- You are asked to receive, forward or hold money, or to open an account.
- You are asked to keep the relationship or the money private from family or the bank.
- Hesitating is met with guilt, urgency or hurt.
- Photos, details or the story do not quite add up.
If You Are Worried About Someone You Love
Confronting someone with proof often pushes them closer to the person deceiving them. Loyalty and embarrassment are part of how this fraud works, and every family’s situation is different.
What helps is staying connected without blame, and a household plan the person has agreed to before the next request arrives. Planning that conversation is part of what we work through with families in Guided Setup.
STOP · VERIFY · CALL™
STOP
End the contact. Do not send money, share information, read a security code, click a link or allow access to your device.
VERIFY
Check the story independently. Do not trust the caller’s displayed name, telephone number, link, document or instructions.
CALL
Call someone you trust before acting.
Online relationship: do not send money or share codes. Talk to someone you trust before acting.
Awareness is not a plan
Inside the relationship, every warning comes with an explanation. That is why boundaries about money and secrecy need to be agreed before the next request.
Put your family’s plan in placeFrequently asked questions
Does a video call or an in-person meeting prove the person is genuine?
No. Video can be faked or staged, and meeting does not prove their financial story. Any request for money still needs independent checking.
What if I have already sent money or shared account information?
Stop further payments, call your bank on the number on your card, keep the messages and report it. Use our fraud-response steps.
How can I help someone who does not believe it is a scam?
Stay connected and avoid blame; pressure tends to backfire. Guided Setup helps families plan that conversation and agree safeguards together.