Dating Scam InvestigationsIs the person you met real?
Dating scam investigations answer one question before more money, time or trust goes in: is the person you met online who they say they are? We check the photos, the name and the story, quietly, and tell you plainly what we found.
- Romance scams
- Catfish profiles
- Money requests
years of identity checks
things every fake profile depends on
person handling your check
What dating scam investigations check
Romance scams can catch anyone. They are run by patient people with scripts, stolen photos and months to spare. They target widows and widowers, busy professionals, people who have just moved, and anyone looking for something real.
Our dating scam investigations look at the three things a fake profile depends on: a face that belongs to someone else, a name with no real life behind it, and a story that bends every time money comes up. In most dating scam investigations, one of the three gives the game away.
If dating scam investigations show the person is real, you will know they are who they say they are. If they are not, you will know before anything else is sent. Either way, nobody hears about it from us. T's and C's apply.
The red flags in almost every romance scam
If two or three of these sound familiar, it is worth a check. ESET Southern Africa explains why online romance scams keep growing.
Always somewhere far away
On an oil rig, on a ship, deployed overseas or stuck on a contract abroad. Close enough to love, too far to meet.
The camera is always broken
Video calls are always cancelled, frozen or too dark. Photos look like a magazine shoot.
An emergency that needs money
Customs fees, a medical bill, a frozen account, a ticket home. Always urgent, always just once.
Off the app, fast
A quick move to WhatsApp or Telegram, where the dating site cannot see the conversation.
An investment opportunity
A trading platform or a crypto scheme they are sure about, and you only need to start small.
A story that keeps changing
Ages, places and family details that shift a little every time you ask.
Where are things right now?
Choose the closest answer. It shows what we would suggest first.
Check before you get attached
A quick check of the photos and the name, early on, saves months of heartache. Most clients wish they had asked sooner.
Pause before you send it
Tell them you need a day. Then send us what you have and we will look at whether the story holds up.
Stop, and keep everything
Do not send more, even if they promise to pay it back. Keep every message and payment detail, and call us.
This is now blackmail
Threats to share photos or messages turn a dating scam into extortion. Stop replying and talk to us straight away.
Check them out first
Before you travel or invite them home, let us confirm they are who they say. It takes a few days, and it can save a lot.
A dating scam investigator in your corner
Most clients come to a dating scam investigator with a feeling rather than a fact. Something about the story does not sit right, but they do not want to accuse someone they care about. That is exactly the moment to ask.
A romance scam investigator does not need to contact the person to find out a lot. The photos, the name and the story usually tell us enough to give you a plain answer, and the right next step.
Not ready to believe it? That is normal. Many clients have also come to us after reading the signs of a cheating partner, because a partner they met online started acting the same way.
- Photos: used under 3 other names since 2023
- Name: no trace of a real life behind it
- Location: claims Johannesburg, story keeps pointing abroad
- Story: changed twice after money came up
- Next step: stop contact, keep every message
Sample result. Each check is reported on its own facts.
How our dating scam investigations work
Dating scam investigations follow four stages, with the price agreed before the checks start.
Send us what you have
Screenshots, the profile, numbers and the story so far. Nothing is too small.
What we check
The checks we will run, and their price, set out before we begin.
The checks
Photos, name, story and contact details, looked at quietly, without alerting the person.
A plain answer
Real, not real, or not sure yet, and what we would do next in your shoes.
Discreet, kind and straight with you
People who call us about a romance scam are often embarrassed. They should not be. These schemes are run like businesses, with scripts that have been tested on thousands of people.
- No judgement: careful, clever people are caught by these scams every day
- The person you are checking is not alerted by us
- Your messages and photos stay with the one person handling your case
- A plain answer, even when it is not the one you hoped for
- More than 10 years of identity checks across South Africa
Dating scam investigations across South Africa
Scammers claim to be anywhere. Our teams are in six centres, and dating scam investigations can mostly be done wherever you are.
Gauteng matches
Most dating scam investigations start in Gauteng, often with a match who claims to live just outside it.
private investigators JohannesburgKZN and the coast
Clients in Durban and KZN, including many scams that start on holiday or expat dating sites.
private investigators DurbanCape Town profiles
Cape Town clients, where profiles claiming to be foreign visitors are especially common.
private investigators Cape TownLimpopo
Polokwane and Limpopo, often for people who met someone online while working away from home.
private investigator PolokwaneMpumalanga
Clients in Mpumalanga, where fake profiles often claim to work on farms, mines or game lodges.
private investigators Nelspruit
Other services people use alongside dating scam investigations:
Questions about dating scam investigations
Can you tell whether a dating profile is fake?
Usually, yes. Stolen photos, a name with no real life behind it and a story that changes are hard to hide for long. If we cannot be sure, we say so.
I have already sent money. Can you get it back?
Recovering money depends mostly on your bank and how you paid, so speak to them quickly. We focus on who the person really is and where they are, which helps any next step. T's and C's apply.
Does the person find out I had them checked?
Not from us. Our dating scam investigations are done without contacting or alerting the person you are asking about.
Can you check someone before I meet them?
Yes, and before a first meeting is an ideal time for it. A few days of checks before a first meeting or a trip can save a great deal.
What if they turn out to be real?
Then you know they are who they say, and the person you checked does not hear about it from us. Many clients are relieved to hear good news.
What is catfishing?
A catfish is someone using a made-up identity online, usually with another person's photos. Not every catfish is after money, but most romance scam profiles are catfish.
How much do dating scam investigations cost?
Most profile checks are short pieces of work, priced before they begin. Our private investigator cost guide gives the wider picture.
Is a romance scam investigator different from a dating scam investigator?
No, it is the same work. Some people call us scam investigators, some say romance scam, some say dating scam. The checks are the same.
Ask before you send anything else
WhatsApp is often the easiest place to start. Send us the profile and you will get a frank answer on whether it looks real.
T's and C's apply.