Tangles • What to do if someone asks for money

Requests for money on dating apps are a common scam tactic. Whether it’s “emergency travel,” “medical bills,” “crypto investing,” or “I’ll pay you back,” the safest response is to stop, protect yourself, and report it.

Bottom line: Never send money, gift cards, crypto, or banking details to anyone you haven’t met and verified in real life.

Immediate steps to take

Stop engaging. Don’t argue or explain. Scammers are trained to keep you talking.
Do not send anything. No money, gift cards, wire transfers, Zelle, Cash App, Venmo, PayPal “Friends & Family,” or crypto.
Preserve evidence. Take screenshots of the chat, profile, photos, payment requests, and any usernames/IDs.
Report the profile on Tangles. Use the ⋮ menu on the chat or profile → Report → choose Asking for money / Scam.
Block the user. This prevents further messages from that account.

Common money-request scenarios (and how to respond)

“I’m stranded / emergency bill” → This is a classic romance scam. Do not pay. Suggest legitimate resources if you want, but keep boundaries firm.
“Invest with me (crypto/forex)” → High-yield promises, third-party sites, or “account managers” = 100% scam.
“Send me gift cards / codes” → Gift cards are untraceable; scammers insist on them for that reason.
“Pay for travel to meet you” → Scammers claim refundable tickets, then disappear.
“I’ll pay you back later” → Even if you’ve chatted for weeks, this pattern is common in long-con scams.

Template reply you can use:

“I don’t send money or financial details to people I’ve met online. I’m going to end this conversation now.”

How to report on Tangles

Open the user’s profile or the chat with them.
Tap the ⋮ menu → select Report.
Choose Asking for money / Scam, add any details (screenshots help), and submit.

Our Safety Team reviews reports quickly. Confirmed offenders may be suspended or banned. Reports are confidential.

If you already sent money

Card/Bank: Contact your bank or card issuer immediately and file a dispute/chargeback.
Cash App / Venmo / Zelle / PayPal: Report the transaction through the app. Some services allow cancellation if the payment is pending.
Gift cards: Contact the card issuer’s fraud team (numbers on the back or on their website) and report the codes as stolen.
Crypto: Transactions are usually irreversible. Report to the exchange and local authorities with all evidence.

Act fast: Some platforms can freeze or reverse transactions if you report quickly.

Should I involve law enforcement?

If you lost money, felt threatened, or the scammer has personal information about you, consider filing a report:

Local police (bring screenshots and payment records)
National cybercrime/reporting portals (varies by country)

We’ll cooperate with valid legal requests. For help from Tangles, email support@tangles-llc.com.

Red flags to watch for

Refuses to video chat or meet in public; quickly moves off-app
Love-bombing: intense affection very early on
Urgent financial emergencies; asks for secrecy
Asks for gift cards, crypto, wire, or “investment opportunities”
Poorly written messages, reused photos, inconsistent stories

🔎 Tip: Reverse-image-search profile photos, and be wary of anyone who can never meet or keeps postponing.

What Tangles does

Investigates reports and removes accounts that violate policy
Limits re-registration attempts by banned users
Runs automated and manual checks for known scam patterns

While we work to keep the platform safe, your reports help us take action faster.