What to save after a romance scam
The relationship felt real, and now you need to keep proof of what happened.
Updated 2026-09-29 · Independent resource. Legal review pending.
Why romance scam evidence is easy to lose
A romance scam usually plays out over weeks or months, so the evidence sits scattered across many messages, calls, and small transfers rather than one clear moment. Many people feel embarrassed and delete conversations before realising they matter.
Every message from the person you trusted is part of the record, not only the ones about money. The full arc, from how contact began to the final request for funds, helps a bank, the police, or a civil claim understand the pattern.
Save every message and profile detail
Screenshot the full conversation on every platform you used, including the first message and any name changes along the way. Save the profile photos, the username, and the profile link if it still exists online.
Note any phone numbers, email addresses, or other apps the person asked you to move the conversation to. People running these scams often shift from a dating app to WhatsApp or Telegram to avoid moderation, and that shift itself is useful evidence.
Keep the full money trail
Save every transfer receipt, bank statement line, or crypto transaction linked to the relationship, even the small ones early on that felt like genuine gestures. List each payment with the date, the amount, the method, and the reason you were given at the time.
If any money moved as cryptocurrency, keep the wallet addresses and transaction references, since these can sometimes still be traced. A clear list like this is also the starting point for building a transaction chronology.
What not to delete
Do not delete the dating app or messaging account, even if you want to stop seeing it. Removing the account can also wipe the message history, taking evidence with it.
Do not clear your bank app’s transaction history either, and download statements as PDFs so you have a copy outside the app. If the person contacts you again asking for another payment, save that message too instead of only blocking them straight away.
What to do next
Once your evidence is together, read how to make a police report so you know what to bring, and consider whether organising evidence for a lawyer is a useful next step. A clear, dated record is one of the most useful things you can hand to anyone helping you.
You do not have to piece this together perfectly on your own. A short conversation can help you see what is worth pursuing from here.
If you have screenshots, transfer records, or just a rough timeline, send us what you have and we can help you work out the realistic next step.
Common questions
Do I need to keep messages that are not about money?
Yes. Messages about the relationship show how trust was built and why you sent money later, which helps explain the pattern to a bank, the police, or a lawyer. Keep the full conversation, not just the parts that mention payments.
What if I already deleted some messages?
Check the app for a backup or export feature, since some platforms keep a copy even after messages are removed from view. What remains, such as bank records and any saved screenshots, is still useful, so gather what you have rather than assuming it is not enough.
Should I keep talking to the person to gather more evidence?
Stop sending money, but you do not need to keep the relationship going to build your case. If you do respond further, save those messages too, since a request for another payment after you raised concerns can itself be useful evidence.
Read next
How to organise evidence for a lawyer
Here is how to organise your screenshots, records, and messages into a clear file before you speak to a lawyer about your case.
Read thisHow to make a police report
If you want to report a scam, here is how to make a police report, what the Commercial Crime Investigation Department handles, and what to bring.
Read thisHow to build a transaction chronology
If your scam involved more than one payment, here is how to build a clear transaction chronology that a bank, the police, or a lawyer can follow.
Read thisFiling a police report for a scam
A police report matters even for a small loss. Here is where to file one, what to bring, and why it supports later steps.
Read thisIf you have screenshots, transfer records, or just a rough timeline, send us what you have and we can help you work out the realistic next step.