Is Dit Veilig?Scam type
NLEN
Scam type 9/15

Dating fraud: when your online love asks for plane-ticket money

Romance scams cost Dutch victims €30,000 on average. Learn the patterns, the scripts and what to do if you suspect your date is fake.

Stats and sources
Updated: May 2026

What the numbers show

No guesses. Only published data from Fraudehelpdesk (the Dutch fraud helpline), CBS (Statistics Netherlands), AFM, SIDN and Dutch investigative journalism.

Fraudehelpdesk H1 2025: 265 reports, 144 victims.
Source: Fraudehelpdesk
2023
More than €7 million in losses, averaging €30,000 per victim.
400
500 reports a year — the real number is probably much higher (shame).
Increasingly combined with crypto fraud ("pig butchering").
Modus operandi

How does this scam actually work in practice?

Step by step: this is how scammers build the scenario. The faster you spot the pattern, the sooner you can hang up or click away.

  1. 01
    First contact via Tinder, Bumble, Happn, Badoo, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.
  2. 02
    The profile shows an attractive person — often an American soldier, doctor, engineer on an oil rig or businessman abroad.
  3. 03
    Feelings escalate fast: within days "darling", "I love you".
  4. 04
    A first money request comes for an "emergency": stolen wallet, customs problem, sick family member, plane ticket.
  5. 05
    More requests follow — sometimes also investment opportunities ("I want to secure our future via crypto").
  6. 06
    Webcam meetings never happen; in-person meetings get cancelled at the last minute.
Red flags

How do you spot this scam before it's too late?

One red flag is usually enough. Two and you know for sure something is off. Stop, hang up, click away, call the real organization via a number you look up yourself.

The profile doesn't match the life story (too young/too good-looking/too successful).
A reverse image search shows the photos appear elsewhere.
Webcam or video call is never possible.
Declarations of love arrive within days.
Money requests, no matter how small or "temporary".
Requests to invest via a platform only that person knows.
What to do

What to do if you've been targeted

In this order. Time is money — literally. The faster you call, the bigger the chance the bank can still reverse a transaction.

  1. 1
    Stop contact immediately — your loss limit is "no second transfer".
  2. 2
    Do a reverse image search (Google Images, TinEye).
  3. 3
    File a police report via politie.nl or 0900-8844.
  4. 4
    Report to the Fraudehelpdesk via fraudehelpdesk.nl/datingfraude.
  5. 5
    Talk to someone: Slachtofferhulp Nederland (Dutch victim support) 0900-0101.
  6. 6
    For a crypto angle: also report to the AFM and save the wallet addresses.
Examples from our database

Concrete examples of this scam type

Click through on an example to see the full dossier: feed hits, host info, domain age, related cases.

example reported
"American soldier in Syria" / "UN doctor in Yemen"
View dossier →
example reported
"Oil-platform engineer North Sea"
View dossier →
example reported
Photos stolen from Instagram influencers
View dossier →
example reported
Email/chat names: David Williams, John Smith, Michael Brown (generic Anglo names)
View dossier →
example reported
First payment often via gift cards (Amazon, Steam), Western Union or crypto
View dossier →
example reported
WhatsApp +1, +44, +233, +1876 (Jamaica)
View dossier →
Common search queries

What people Google when they run into this scam

Recognize your own situation in one of these phrases? Paste your input into the checker above and you'll get an instant dossier — no account needed.

Related scam types

Often combined with these other scam types

Scammers increasingly combine multiple channels. A WhatsApp message is followed by a fake call; a phishing email by a Tikkie payment request.

Scam type
Crypto fraud and fake trading platforms: how "pig butchering" drains Dutch investors
A new "friend" on LinkedIn who lets you earn on a trading platform? Learn how pig butchering works and how to recognize the scammers.
Read more →
Scam type
"Hi mom, I have a new number": the WhatsApp friend-in-need scam
A message from your "child" with a new number and an urgent payment request? Learn how friend-in-need fraud works and what to do about it.
Read more →
Scam type
Sextortion email with your old password? Why you don't need to pay
An email claiming to have filmed you through your webcam and demanding Bitcoin? In 99% of cases it's a bluff. Here's how to confirm that and stop escalation.
Read more →
Common questions

Common questions about this scam

What is dating fraud?
First contact via Tinder, Bumble, Happn, Badoo, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn. The profile shows an attractive person — often an American soldier, doctor, engineer on an oil rig or businessman abroad.
Online date asking for money what to do?
The profile doesn't match the life story (too young/too good-looking/too successful). Stop contact immediately — your loss limit is "no second transfer".
How to recognize dating fraud?
A reverse image search shows the photos appear elsewhere. Do a reverse image search (Google Images, TinEye).
Tinder match asks for plane ticket money?
Webcam or video call is never possible. File a police report via politie.nl or 0900-8844.
What should I do if I've been a victim?
Stop contact immediately — your loss limit is "no second transfer". Do a reverse image search (Google Images, TinEye). File a police report via politie.nl or 0900-8844.
Will I get my money back?
Whether you get your money back depends on the type of scam, how quickly you called your bank and whether you handed over credentials yourself. Dutch banks operate a goodwill scheme but in practice rarely pay out 100%. Always file a police report immediately and report to the Fraudehelpdesk — this strengthens your case.
Need help right now?

Call these numbers now — in this order

In case of immediate danger or an ongoing transaction: hang up, call your bank, then file a police report. The faster, the bigger the chance the money can be recovered.

Emergency
112
Police / emergency services
Police report
0900-8844
Ask for a case-file number
Fraudehelpdesk
088-786 73 72
Report for trend tracking
ING emergency line
020-22 888 00
Block account & card
Rabobank emergency line
088-722 67 67
Block account & card
ABN AMRO emergency line
0900-0024
Block account & card
SNS emergency line
030-633 30 00
Block account & card
Slachtofferhulp (victim support)
0900-0101
Emotional & legal support
Fraudehelpdesk.nlPolitie.nl — report online fraudVeiliginternetten.nlConsumentenbond — safe browsing