Last Updated on July 28, 2025

When the world shut down in 2020, businesses turned to virtual communication methods to keep operations running. Many of these practices have persisted in the after the pandemic period, both in our professional and personal interactions. As is the case with any popular online platform, video call services have become an avenue for cybercrime. But how do scammers manipulate video calls — and what can you do to stay safe? Read on to learn more about video call scams.

How Do Scammers Use Video Calls?

There are a number of ways that a cybercriminal can manipulate video calls to carry out various schemes. Often as part of a phishing, romance, or investment scam, scammers may steal videos or create their own using AI.

Next, the scammer will use a program like ManyCam that allows them to replace the video feed from their webcam with the prerecorded footage. From there, the video call scammer can easily deceive the person on the other end of the call. After all, most people use video calls to confirm the identity of other users online.

How to Recognize Video Call Scams

It takes a significant level of technical skill and computing power to fake a video call. High-quality video fakes can be harder to discern than vishing and smishing attempts. However, mistakes arise due to the sophisticated process of creating and employing an augmented video call.

Here are some red flags that could help you recognize a video call scam:

• Video quality. The video quality of a deepfake may be poor because of the amount of data required to run the feed. A regular video call may suffer similar issues due to poor connection. However, if the video seems overly grainy, it could be a sign of a manipulated call.
• Weird cuts and glitches.Much like the video quality, the ability for the feed to play at all may struggle due to the file size. This can lead to the video cutting and freezing often. You may also notice weird lighting or distortion around the person on the call. The call might extend past the video’s length, resulting in a noticeable loop.
• Lips don’t sync with dialogue. Do the words coming from the speaker not match the movement of their mouth? Is the area around their lips distorted or fuzzy when they speak? This may indicate that the video feed has been doctored.
• Video resolution.If the perpetrator is repurposing a stolen video, there’s a good chance the original clip does not match the resolution of the call. If the feed looks stretched or distorted, it may mean that it’s a resized clip and not a live video.
• Inconsistent Identity. Does the person in the video match who you are supposedly speaking with? Are the things they are doing or saying consistent with who they claim to be? If not, it’s likely a stolen or manipulated video.

Deepfake Detection Tools

The growth of generative AI has led cybersecurity experts to develop tools that can differentiate digitally altered content from legit videos. These programs use advanced algorithms and techniques to analyze digital content and identify irregularities that go unseen by the naked eye. There are various reputable services that can help you detect deepfake media

Steps That Can Help You Avoid a Video Call Scam

Just because bad actors are capable of manipulating video call platforms doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice your online freedom. It is possible to safely avoid video call scammers, but you need to be aware and act accordingly. The following are practices that can help you do just that.

• Avoid calls from unknown users. This is the best way to avoid falling into a video call scam. Cybercriminals will often reach out to unsuspecting users hoping they will curiously join the call. Ignoring calls from people you don’t know will prevent them from getting this opportunity.
• Use heightened security settings. Most video call platforms provide a security feature that allows you to silence unknown callers. This can help eliminate the guess work of deciding which calls to decline.
• Don’t engage in compromising calls. A common tactic is to play a video of an attractive individual participating in explicit behavior. The goal is to encourage the target to do the same. You should avoid these types of interactions, especially with callers who are unknown to you.
• Reverse image search. If you’re already on the call and start to suspect it may be a scammer, take a screenshot of the feed. You can use it to run a reverse image search to find if any similar frames are floating around online.
• Stay informed on cybercrime trends. Cybercriminals are constantly evolving the methods they use to target their victims. It’s necessary that you keep the pace with your cybersecurity knowledge. Our blog library is a great resource that can help you do this.

What to Do if a Video Call Scammer Contacts You

• Cut off communication. It’s best to end the call as quickly as possible. The longer you stay on, the greater the chances of the perpetrator gaining information or footage they can use to fuel their scheme.
• Collect evidence. If you’re in the call, take a screenshot of the video being displayed. You should also document the caller’s contact information and any other contact that has been made. Record time stamps to reconstruct the timeline of the scam.
• Report the call and the user. You should inform the platform of the scam call and the account responsible so they can be held accountable. Furthermore, you should report the matter to law
• Consider professional cybersecurity assistance. These experts can retrieve data that is inaccessible to the average internet user. Cybersecurity firms can use advanced techniques to unearth evidence such as the perpetrator’s IP address and device network.

Real-World Cases

If you fall into a video call scam, you are not the first. Video call scammers have successfully attacked countless victims, taking on targets from everyday people to multinational companies. There are lessons to be learned from these experiences. Whether it’s gaining insight on the scammers’ strategies or learning from the response of the victim, these cases can provide valuable knowledge that can keep you safe.

UK Engineering Firm Loses Millions to Deepfake Video Conference

In early 2024, British engineering company Arup fell victim to an AI-fueled fraud scam. The perpetrators were able to use deepfake technology to digitally clone company executives, including the CFO.

The video call scammers then arranged a conference with an employee of the firm working in Hong Kong. They convinced the employee to make 15 transfers to five different bank accounts. The transfers totaled to roughly 200 million Hong Kong dollars, or just under $25.5 million USD.

This case serves as evidence that nobody is too big to fall for these scams — even large corporations. It also illustrates the importance of verifying who you are virtually speaking with, especially when it concerns financial transactions.

Gurugram Man Scammed by Whatsapp Call

In 2023, a 25-year-old man was sitting in his father’s office at a law firm in Gurugram’s 17^th sector. He received a WhatsApp call from an unknown caller and decided to answer. When he did, he saw a woman on the other end who began undressing.

The man reportedly ended the call immediately and fainted in shock of what he’d seen. However, the video call scammers took screenshots of the obscene call and blackmailed the man for “participating”.

It doesn’t take long for scammers to gain the leverage needed to execute their schemes. This example displays the ability for video call scammers to commit sextortion, even if the victim simply answered and hung up the call.

Cartell Kidnapping Video Call Scam

In 2020, the FBI released a public warning around an uptick in “virtual kidnapping” schemes. Perpetrators pose as criminal organizations like drug cartels and call hotel rooms to inform occupants that the building is “surrounded”.

They convince the targets to join video calls where they take screenshots of the individuals. With this, they reach out to the target’s family and convince them they have been kidnapped and demand a ransom payment.

This example shows the versatility of schemes that can be pulled off with a simple video call. It also shows the potential for these video call scams to perpetuate far past the initial victim.

Facing a Video Call Scammer? We can Help

Video call scams are a serious threat to your online security. However, these schemes don’t have to be so devastating, and you don’t have to handle them alone. Our team of experts can follow the digital footprint left behind from these video calls to help you identify the scammer.

Get the professional help you need to regain control today. Contact our Helpline to speak with one of our specialists and figure out your first step toward recovery.

Last Updated on May 29, 2025

Romance scams are both insidious and alarmingly widespread. In 2023 alone, victims lost over $1.14 billion to these deceptive schemes, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The median individual loss was a staggering $2,000, making romance scams the costliest type of imposter fraud on record.

But the impact goes far beyond financial devastation. Romance fraud robs people of their trust, dignity, and emotional well-being. These scams often target the lonely, grieving, or emotionally vulnerable, exploiting their hopes for genuine connection.

Why Helping Someone Caught in a Romance Scam is Hard

Whether a friend or family member, it’s especially painful to watch someone you care about fall victim to such manipulation. To outsiders, the warning signs may seem obvious. But to someone emotionally entangled, the scam often feels like love, not deception. Confronting them is never easy. So, how do you help them see the truth behind a romance scam without pushing them away?

Recognizing the signs of a romance scam is the first crucial step. It empowers you to approach the situation with empathy and insight.

In this guide, we’ll explore healthy, supportive ways to offer real help for romance scam victims and why seeking professional intervention from experts like Cyber Investigation Inc. can be a turning point in reclaiming both security and peace of mind.

Understanding How Romance Scams Work

The first step in recognizing the signs of a romance scam or helping a loved one see the truth is understanding how these scams operate. Romance scammers often follow a script, using well-rehearsed tactics and emotional manipulation to build trust and dependency.

These schemes typically follow a predictable formula. Once you’re familiar with the patterns, it becomes much easier to identify a scam early on and intervene before serious damage is done.

Here’s a breakdown of how romance scams usually unfold.

Emotional Manipulation at Its Core

At the heart of every romance scam is emotional manipulation. Scammers are skilled at exploiting human vulnerability, often beginning with overwhelming affection, constant praise, and grand declarations of love. An approach known as love bombing, these excessive gestures are designed to quickly build trust and create an illusion of deep emotional connection.

Once the victim is emotionally invested, the scammer gradually shifts the tone. They may introduce elaborate stories involving emergencies, travel problems, or personal crises, all crafted to justify financial requests. By the time money enters the conversation, the victim may already feel too emotionally entangled to question the legitimacy of the relationship.

Common Tactics Used by Romance Scammers

Scammers often begin by creating fake online profiles, complete with stolen photos and carefully crafted backstories. This is a deceptive tactic known as catfishing. These fabricated identities are designed to appear trustworthy, attractive, and emotionally engaging, making it easier to draw victims in.

Once the connection is established, the fraudster gradually introduces a series of emotional appeals, often centered around sudden emergencies or unexpected hardships. They may claim to need money for medical bills, travel expenses, or visa issues, all while promising to visit in person. But these visits never materialize. Each time, there’s a new excuse: a delayed flight, a denied visa, a family tragedy, anything to maintain the illusion while avoiding accountability.

Why Victims Struggle to See the Truth

Victims of romance scams often struggle to see the truth because they’ve become deeply emotionally invested in the relationship, clinging to the hope that the connection is real. Admitting it’s a scam can bring overwhelming shame and embarrassment along with the fear of losing what feels like a meaningful bond. This emotional conflict makes it difficult to accept the deception, even when warning signs are clear.

A Real-Life Example

Consider the story of “Bobby Brown,” a pseudonym used by a self-confessed Nigerian romance scammer who opened up to a CBC journalist. Bobby was part of a group of internet fraudsters known locally as “Yahoo Boys.” He targeted vulnerable, lonely women by posing as an oil rig engineer stationed overseas with a young son.

To make his story believable, Bobby spun a narrative filled with emotion and responsibility. He told his victims he needed Apple gift cards to buy music and game subscriptions for his son. He reassured them that he would repay the money once he returned to Canada and could finally begin a life with them in person.

There were red flags. His English was often awkward or grammatically off. A photo he claimed to have taken in Scotland showed cars driving on the wrong side of the road, an easy miss for someone unfamiliar with the region. The relationship progressed rapidly, with early declarations of love and even marriage proposals. Soon after came the inevitable and repeated requests for money.

In truth, Bobby was operating out of a scam house in Nigeria, packed with other fraudsters working similar cons, all sleeping in the same room.

Signs Your Friend or Family Member Is a Victim of a Romance Scam

To an outside observer, the signs of romance fraud can seem glaringly obvious. But for someone caught up in the emotional web of the scam, those red flags often go unnoticed or are rationalized away. Helping someone caught in a romance scam can be challenging, especially when they haven’t yet recognized the deception.

Recognizing these warning signs of an online relationship scam is the first crucial step toward helping your loved one get the support they need.

Here are some of the most common indicators that someone may be involved in romance fraud:

• Secretive behavior about their online relationship: They may avoid sharing details, hesitate to show photos, or refuse to introduce their “partner” to friends and family.
• Unexplained financial activity or requests for money: This can include loans, repeated purchases of gift cards, wire transfers, or sending cryptocurrency to someone they’ve never met in person.
• Consistent excuses for not meeting face-to-face: The scammer might claim ongoing travel issues, military deployment, medical crises, or visa problems to avoid physical contact.
• Increasing isolation from loved ones: Victims may withdraw from their support network, often because the scammer encourages them to cut ties with anyone who questions the relationship.

How to Have the Hard Conversation About a Romance Scam

Starting a conversation with someone you suspect is caught in an online relationship scam can be incredibly difficult. But it’s also one of the most important steps toward helping them break free. For the victim, coming to terms with the truth often requires a gentle, empathetic approach that prioritizes their dignity and emotional well-being.

Begin by expressing your concern with compassion, not criticism. Avoid shaming language or making them feel foolish. Instead, focus on your care for their safety and well-being. Let them know you’re coming from a place of love, not judgment.

When it’s time to present evidence, do so calmly and clearly. Offer tools like reverse image searches to verify the scammer’s photos. This can often yield results of other profiles or reported romance scams using the same images. Encourage them to examine inconsistencies in the scammer’s story and ask open-ended, logical questions that allow them to think critically without feeling attacked.

Be prepared for resistance. It’s common for victims to initially defend the scammer. After all, they’ve built an emotional connection and have been deeply manipulated. It may take time for them to let go of the fantasy.

Above all, be patient. Avoid ultimatums or pressure. Reassure them that you’re there to support them whenever they’re ready to face the truth. Let them know they don’t have to go through it alone. Help and recovery from an online relationship scam are within reach.

Why Professional Romance Scam Help Is Critical

Supporting a victim of an online relationship scam is never easy. It often requires more than well-meaning advice. These scams are run by highly sophisticated criminal networks operating across borders, making them difficult to stop without expert help. It’s rarely as simple as blocking a number or deleting a profile.

That’s where professional intervention becomes essential. At Cyber Investigation Inc., we specialize in tracking, identifying, and disrupting romance scams. Using advanced digital tracing technology, we follow the scammer’s online footprint, gather critical evidence, and assist victims in working with law enforcement. In many cases, we’re able to uncover the scammer’s real identity and location, something no ordinary internet search can provide.

We can also assist in financial fraud recovery and help get your loved ones’ money back.

However, the victim’s cooperation is crucial. Investigators need access to messages, emails, and transaction records to build a case and take meaningful action. Without this, even the best tools have limited impact.

Bringing in professionals early can help prevent further financial loss, emotional trauma, and long-term psychological damage. The sooner expert support is involved, the better the chances of a full recovery and achieving justice.

Steps to Take When Your Loved One Is Ready for Help

When your loved one finally acknowledges the romance scam and is ready to seek help, it’s essential to act quickly, carefully, and compassionately. Taking the right steps can not only protect them from further harm but also aid in holding the scammer accountable.

Here’s what to do:

Gather and Preserve All Evidence

Collect and save screenshots of emails, chat messages, transaction records, photos, and any information exchanged with the scammer. This documentation is vital for investigators and law enforcement.

Report the Scam to the Appropriate Authorities

File a report of the romance scam with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), and the platform where the scam took place. These reports create a formal paper trail that can aid future prosecutions.

Contact Cyber Investigation Inc.

Our team will initiate a discreet, professional investigation to trace the scammer’s digital footprint, gather additional evidence, and help prevent further emotional and financial damage.

Offer ongoing emotional support

Recovery from a romance scam is emotionally complex. Receiving emotional support after a scam is essential to the recovery process. Encourage them to seek counseling or join support groups where they can talk to others who’ve been through similar experiences.

Taking these steps can empower your loved one to begin the healing process and reclaim control over their life.

Don’t Wait: Get Help Before It’s Too Late

Time is of the essence when it comes to romance scams. The longer the deception continues, the deeper the emotional manipulation goes, and the higher the financial and psychological cost to the victim. Every day gives the scammer more power and control.

You don’t have to stand by helplessly. Taking swift action can protect your loved one, cut off the scammer’s influence, and begin the path to recovery.

If someone you care about is caught in a romance scam, don’t wait. Get help and contact Cyber Investigation Inc. today. Our team of experts will discreetly investigate, uncover the truth, and help your loved one reclaim their life, finances, and peace of mind.

Last Updated on July 18, 2023

Are you the victim of a Ghana romance scam? You are not alone – many people fall prey to such scams, which can be heartbreaking. Romance fraud is one of the most common types of scams taking place today, but that does not mean you have to stay a victim forever. Keep reading to learn what you need about Ghana romance scams.

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Last Updated on July 18, 2023

Are you a victim of an online scam? If so, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out the best course of action. The good news is that reporting these crimes to the police helps protect other potential victims from being scammed, puts the authorities on alert, and can lead to a possible investigation and even criminal charges. In this blog post, we will give you step-by-step instructions about how to report online scams to law enforcement agencies so that justice may be served!

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Last Updated on July 18, 2023

How to Report a Crypto Romance Scam?

The crypto industry has been a hotbed for investment scams since its inception. In recent years, romance scams have become increasingly common in cryptocurrency. These scams typically involve a person being contacted by someone online who they believe is a romantic interest, only to discover later that they are being scammed out of their cryptocurrency. If you or someone you know has fallen victim to a crypto romance scam, it’s essential to understand how to report it. In this blog post, we will outline the steps you can take to report crypto romance scams and hopefully get justice.

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Last Updated on July 18, 2023

Dangers Of Online Dating: Extortion On Dating Sites

Instead of meeting people in public settings, many are taking an easier route and making connections online through dating apps. Dating platforms can help people gather the confidence to start conversations with others they might not have the courage to speak to in public. Dating apps also allow more malicious activity, such as dating scams that involve cybercriminals manipulating unsuspecting victims into sending over their hard-earned money. This blog will explain how these scams work and What Should You Do With Extortion On Dating Sites.

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Last Updated on July 7, 2023

Being scammed is the last thing someone wants to go through. Having your private and financial information exploited doesn’t feel good, and it, unfortunately, happens way too often in today’s digital world. If you want tips on what to do if you’ve been scammed online, look no further, we have provided some for you.

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Last Updated on July 7, 2023

Being scammed online can feel like a total violation of your privacy and financial security, leaving you feeling overwhelmed and powerless. However, the truth is that you do have the power to respond — if you know how. In this blog post, we will cover different strategies on how to deal with being scammed online, offering practical tips and advice so that you can take charge of the situation. We understand it may be hard to start taking action now — but knowing what steps to take in reaction to being scammed will help reduce long-term consequences. Ready? Let’s go!

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Last Updated on July 7, 2023

Do you feel like your heart has taken a hit recently? Russian romance scams are rising, with estimated losses recorded in the millions. Victims of these scams often suffer heartbreak and financial impacts that can take years to recover. Unfortunately, these scams are becoming increasingly prevalent, with more and more people falling prey to the criminals behind them. In this article, we will cover all you need to know about Russian romance scams and how to protect yourself from them.

Continue reading Russian Romance scams in 2023: Signs & How to protect Yourself