A while ago, a boyfriend told me about a woman he’d fallen in love with online. He’d just come out of a very long marriage and was feeling vulnerable. Everything seemed real, and he saw no obvious warning signs, until she asked him to send money for a plane ticket to come and visit him. That’s when he realised he was being scammed.

What struck me was how normal the conversation had looked right up until that moment. Romance scammers are patient and convincing, and the people they target are often just looking for connection.

So I built Catfish Detective. Paste in part or all of a chat, or upload a WhatsApp export, and it tells you how likely the conversation is to be a scam. It also points out the specific warning signs it spotted.

It’s completely free, and nothing you paste is shared.

I’d love your thoughts, especially:

Did the result match your gut feeling?
What other warning signs should it look for?

If you know someone dating online, especially after a divorce or bereavement, please share it with them. It might save them a lot of heartache.

What struck me was how normal the conversation had looked right up until that moment. Romance scammers are patient and convincing, and the people they target are often just looking for connection.

It’s completely free, and nothing you paste is shared.

I’d love your thoughts, especially:

Did the result match your gut feeling?
What other warning signs should it look for?

If you know someone dating online, especially after a divorce or bereavement, please share it with them. It might save them a lot of heartache.

Catfish Detective

This chat has several warning signs of a romance scam

This chat has several warning signs of a romance scam