How to Spot and Avoid Scams in Online Chat

If someone in a chat room ever steers you toward money, you've already met the only red flag you truly need.

This is common, not naive

Let's start with scale so nobody feels stupid. The FTC reported about $1.16 billion in romance-scam losses in 2025, and roughly 60% of those started on a social or chat platform. Around 1 in 7 people targeted lose money. That's not a "gullible person" problem. Smart, careful, lonely-on-a-Tuesday people get hit, and men over 35 get caught just as often and report it far less. So read this as peers comparing notes, not a lecture.

The one rule

Here it is, the whole thing in one line. Any ask involving money, crypto, gift cards, "investment tips," or moving the conversation off-platform is a scam. Full stop. You don't need to evaluate their story, weigh their excuse, or be polite about it. The moment those words appear, the conversation is over. One bonus from Shush: there's no signup, so there's no payment info on file to steal. But the rule still stands, never send money to anyone you met in a chat.

The two scripts to expect

Scammers run patterns. Once you've seen them, you can't unsee them.

Love-bombing: intense, fast, "I've never felt this connected," "soulmate," "are we exclusive?" within days. Real intimacy doesn't sprint. Manufactured intimacy always does, because the warmth is the setup.
The manufactured crisis: after the bond comes the emergency. A medical bill, a frozen account, a customs fee, a can't-miss investment. The story exists to create urgency so you act before you think.

Old tells that don't work anymore

Forget the advice you grew up on. Bad grammar is not a reliable tell anymore, scammers use AI to write flawless, warm messages. And "ask them to hop on video" is outdated too, because deepfakes mean video no longer proves someone is who they say. Watch behavior, not English and not a face on a screen. The tells are in what they push you to do.

It's not only about money

Financial scams get the headlines, but there's a separate danger, and it skews toward women: people who want control, not cash. These red flags deserve their own list.

Pressure for photos, especially intimate ones, framed as proof you trust them.
Boundary-testing: small pushes past your "no" to see how much you'll allow.
Guilt and isolation: making you feel cruel for slowing down, or steering you away from friends and other rooms.
Escalating demands the moment you give an inch. Coercion ramps; it doesn't stay still.

What to actually do

Keep it on-platform and in text. The push to WhatsApp or Telegram is a push away from the place where you can block and report.
Reverse-image search a photo that feels too polished. Stolen pictures show up everywhere.
Use block and report the instant a red flag lands. You owe a stranger nothing, not even an explanation.
Trust the flicker of doubt. That "hm, weird" feeling is data. Name it to a friend out loud.

None of this means closing yourself off. Most people in a chat room are just people. You can stay open and warm and still keep one boundary fixed: money and pressure mean it's over.

Frequently asked questions

Does using Shush put my financial information at risk?There’s no signup, so no payment details or contact info sit on file to be stolen. The real risk is sending money yourself, so never send money to anyone you meet in chat.

They write perfectly and offered to video chat. Doesn’t that prove they’re real?No. Scammers use AI for flawless messages, and deepfakes mean video no longer proves identity. Judge behavior, not grammar or a face on screen.

What’s the single fastest way to know it’s a scam?Any request for money, crypto, gift cards, investment tips, or to move off-platform. That’s a scam every time, no matter how convincing the story sounds.