What email domains do romance scammers use most?

Based on 27,624 documented romance scam cases, the top email domains used by scammers are: Yahoo.com (7,747 cases), Gmail.com (7,109 cases), Hotmail.com (1,348 cases), Yandex.com (767 cases), and Outlook.com (593 cases). Yahoo and Gmail together account for over 70% of scammer email addresses.

What fake names do romance scammers commonly use?

The most common fake first names used by romance scammers are: James (319 cases), David (304 cases), John (290 cases), Mark (256 cases), Michael (199 cases), Robert (161 cases), Frank (155 cases), and Richard (155 cases). Scammers prefer common Western names to appear trustworthy.

How do I spot a romance scam script?

Romance scammers use scripted messages that follow a pattern: they express immediate strong feelings, ask personal questions to build fake intimacy, claim to be widowed or divorced, say they work overseas (military, oil rig, doctor), and eventually create emergencies requiring money. If messages feel too perfect or move too fast, they are likely scripted.

When did romance scams peak?

Based on ScamWarners data from 2007-2026, romance scam reports peaked in 2012 with 6,347 documented cases. Reports remained high through 2015-2018 (1,600-2,500 annually). The apparent decline in recent years may reflect victims reporting through other channels rather than fewer scams occurring.

Are military romance scams common?

Yes, military romance scams are extremely common. ScamWarners has documented hundreds of cases involving fake soldiers, with scammers claiming ranks like Sergeant, General, or Captain deployed to Afghanistan, Syria, or Iraq. Real military personnel never need money for leave papers, satellite phones, or travel home - the military provides all necessities.

How do romance scammers ask for money?

After weeks of building trust, romance scammers create emergencies requiring money: medical bills, travel costs to visit you, customs fees for packages, or business problems. They request wire transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrency because these are hard to trace or reverse. The requests start small and escalate over time.

Why do scammers use Yahoo and Gmail email addresses?

Scammers prefer Yahoo and Gmail because these free email services are easy to create anonymously, trusted by victims worldwide, and difficult to trace. Our data shows Yahoo.com (37%) and Gmail.com (34%) together account for 71% of all scammer email addresses documented since 2007.

How can I verify if someone online is a scammer?

To verify a potential scammer: reverse image search their photos, search their email address and name online, request a video call (scammers avoid these), ask specific questions about their claimed location or profession, and never send money to someone you haven't met in person. You can also post details on ScamWarners forum for free verification by volunteers.

Romance Scam Statistics: Data from 27,624 Real Cases

Name: Romance Scam Statistics Database
Creator: ScamWarners
Published: 2026-01-23
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

27,624

Documented Cases

20,919

Scammer Emails

Years of Data

6,347

Peak Year (2012)

These statistics come directly from our database of romance scam reports submitted by victims since 2008. Unlike generic warnings, this is real data from real cases that shows exactly how scammers operate.

Top Email Domains Used by Scammers

Of the 20,919 scammer email addresses documented, these domains appear most frequently:

Domain	Cases	Frequency
yahoo.com	7,747	37%
gmail.com	7,109	34%
hotmail.com	1,348	6%
yandex.com	767	4%
outlook.com	593	3%
yahoo.co.uk	340	2%

Why Yahoo and Gmail?

Scammers prefer these free email services because they're easy to create anonymously, widely trusted by victims, and difficult to trace. Yahoo.com and Gmail.com together account for over 70% of all scammer email addresses in our database.

Most Common Fake Names

Scammers consistently use certain names because they sound trustworthy and Western. These first names appear most frequently in our scam reports:

Name	Cases	Frequency
James	319
David	304
John	290
Mark	256
Michael	199
Robert	161
Frank	155
Richard	155

Also frequently seen: Mary (128), Kelvin (119), Rose (101), Anna (101), Alex (100). Note that "Kelvin" is unusually common - it's a name more popular in West Africa than in the Western countries scammers claim to be from.

How Romance Scam Scripts Work

Scammers use copied scripts that follow a predictable pattern. Here are real examples from our database showing how a typical romance scam progresses:

Stage 1: The Introduction

The first message is designed to seem personal but is actually copy-pasted to hundreds of targets:

Actual scammer message Hello, I think your profile makes you worth emailing, and I really enjoyed reading what you wrote. I thought we may share some similar interests and I would love to learn more about you. I'm Jennifer Williams from GA, I am a very sensual, sexual and passionate woman. I love life and see the glass half full.

Stage 2: Building Fake Intimacy

Scammers ask personal questions to make you feel special and invested:

Actual scammer message I will want you please tell me more about yourself before we go on with this conversation. What is your name? How old are you? What do you do for fun? What is your marital status? Tell me about your past relationship if married before? How long did your last relationship last? Do you have kids?

Stage 3: Love Bombing

After a few exchanges, scammers declare intense feelings far too quickly:

Actual scammer message I am falling deeply in love with you already. I see you as the kind of woman that I have been longing for. Each day I look at your pictures, I never stop looking at it. I feel we are meant for each other. This is not a mistake - I believe that our meeting was destined by God to happen.

Stage 4: The Sad Story

Every scammer has a tragic backstory designed to create sympathy:

Actual scammer message I never grew up to know my mum as she died immediately after my birth. I lost my dad on 9/11 in New York. I'm the only daughter of my folks. My ex-boyfriend absconded with my dad's money which was kept with me after a completion of a contract.

Stage 5: The Money Request

Finally, after weeks of building trust, comes the ask for money:

Actual scammer message I deposited the boxes with a Security and Insurance Company here. I want you to contact them as my fiancee who is to receive my boxes. Once the box gets to you, you can have some money sent to me for my flight to the State. I promise 30% of the total fund for you.

The Pattern is Always the Same

Whether the scammer claims to be a soldier in Afghanistan, a doctor with Doctors Without Borders, or an oil rig worker in the North Sea - the script follows the same stages: introduction, personal questions, declarations of love, sad story, and money request. If you recognize this pattern, stop all contact immediately.

Military Romance Scams

A significant portion of romance scams involve fake military personnel. In our database, we've documented:

143 topics specifically mentioning "SGT" or "Sergeant" in scammer names
89 topics with "Military" in the title
Common fake ranks: Sergeant, General, Captain, Colonel
Common fake deployments: Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, "peacekeeping missions"

Real military personnel do not need money for: leave papers, satellite phones, travel home, shipping belongings, or medical treatment. The military provides all of these.

Romance Scam Reports by Year

Our data shows how romance scam reporting has evolved since ScamWarners began:

Year	Reports	Trend
2012	6,347	Peak
2015	3,068
2017	2,490
2018	1,651
2019	1,100
2023	923

Note: The decline in reports to ScamWarners doesn't mean fewer scams are occurring. Romance scam losses have actually increased according to FTC data. Victims may now report through other channels (FTC, IC3, social media platforms) or not report at all due to embarrassment.

Think You're Being Scammed?

Post the details in our forum and our volunteers will help you verify if it's a scam.

Get Free Help Browse Scam Reports

Related Resources

Is This a Scam? - Free interactive checker tool. Answer 12 questions to find out.
Military Romance Scams - 868 documented cases of fake soldiers. Learn how scammers impersonate US military personnel.
How to Report a Scam - Step-by-step guide to reporting fraud to the FTC, FBI, and other agencies.
Scam FAQ - Common questions about romance scams answered.

Data Source: All statistics on this page are derived from the ScamWarners forum database containing 27,624 romance scam reports submitted by victims between 2007-2026. This is primary source data collected directly from victim reports, not estimates or surveys.

Last updated: July 10, 2026

Romance Scam Statistics