What is an Underage scam?

This scam begins on a dating app where you may meet a woman claiming to be over 18 years old. Later, you’ll receive a message saying she’s actually underage, often from someone posing as her father or a police officer. They’ll threaten you, saying you’ll be labeled a sex offender unless you pay them to resolve the issue, citing reasons like therapy or a broken device. Remember, there’s no real girl or crime, so it’s best to ignore their threats and move forward. While this scam usually involves the scammer pretending to be an underaged woman, it is not uncommon to see them pretending to be an underage man as well.

How can you stay safe?

To avoid underage scams, it’s important to be cautious when chatting with people on dating apps. Always trust your gut when talking to someone online. If you have your doubts, try a reverse image search of the person’s profile pictures. Signs of an underage scammer tend to be: Requesting revealing photos, lovebombing, moving the relationship fairly quickly, and having a figure like a father or police officer contacting you a few days after chatting with the scammer.