In a new survey from ClarityCheck, phone number inconsistencies flagged 62% of suspected romance scams, far outpacing photos, emails, or social links.
Romance scams are no longer unfolding in the shadows of obscure dating sites or fringe forums. They are thriving in mainstream apps and social platforms, and the earliest warning sign is often hiding in plain sight. A new ClarityCheck user survey reveals that 62% of respondents who experienced or identified a suspected romance scam first grew suspicious because of the phone number involved.
The survey, based on responses from over 2,400 users across the U.S., U.K., and EU, found that phone numbers raised red flags more often than any other data point. Only 18% of respondents cited profile photos as the first sign of concern, while 12% pointed to unusual or mismatched email addresses, and 8% to inconsistencies in social media links.
The warning signs ranged from phone numbers using VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) lines, which are cheap, quickly obtained, and difficult to trace, to country codes that did not match the claimed location, or numbers tied to multiple, unrelated profiles. These discrepancies frequently preceded the classic scammer script: abrupt shifts to encrypted messaging platforms and sudden stories of hardship designed to trigger sympathy or urgency.
This matters because phone numbers are both highly visible and relatively easy to check. Unlike profile photos or email addresses, which can be fabricated or stolen, numbers often contain metadata about geography, carrier type, and usage history. That makes them one of the most actionable signals for early detection.
In the age of AI-generated personas and increasingly convincing fake profiles, having a tangible, verifiable identifier, such as a phone number, becomes even more critical. Phone-number anomalies are not just technical quirks; they are behavioral cues that something is off.
According to ClarityCheck’s survey modeling, if platforms and users conducted basic phone-number verification at first contact, the success rate of romance scams could drop by as much as 28%.
The broader implications stretch beyond individual vigilance. Romance fraud is now one of the most expensive digital crimes reported annually, with billions lost worldwide. And yet, regulatory frameworks are still catching up. Most platforms do not require phone verification at signup, let alone ongoing behavioral monitoring. Public service campaigns continue to rely on outdated tropes, poor grammar, pixelated photos, or dramatic confessions, ignoring the subtle but trackable trail left by suspicious numbers.
This gap creates a policy blind spot. Without systemic verification tools or stronger transparency standards, users are left to fend for themselves in a game rigged against them.
As the digital dating landscape grows more complex, the most effective interventions may be the simplest. Phone numbers, long treated as background detail, are emerging as a frontline defense in fraud prevention. To ignore them is to ignore one of the few remaining signals still grounded in the physical infrastructure of global communication.
About ClarityCheck:
ClarityCheck is an all-in-one background verification tool for phone numbers, emails, and images. Designed for everyday digital safety, ClarityCheck helps users instantly identify unknown contacts, trace suspicious profiles, and check for potential fraud across phone, email, and photo input. By combining reverse lookup and OSINT technologies, it offers a streamlined way to verify identities and protect yourself online.
ClarityCheck is an all-in-one background verification tool for phone numbers, emails, and images. Designed for everyday digital safety, ClarityCheck helps users instantly identify unknown contacts, trace suspicious profiles, and check for potential fraud across phone, email, and photo input. By combining reverse lookup and OSINT technologies, it offers a streamlined way to verify identities and protect yourself online.
Media Contact:
ClarityCheck
pr@claritycheck.com
Lauren Fellows
PR Manager
ClarityCheck
pr@claritycheck.com
Lauren Fellows
PR Manager