Scammed on Hangouts or Google Chat? How the move-off-the-app scam works
Quick answer
Someone you met on a dating app or social site who pushes you to chat on Hangouts or Google Chat, then asks for money, is a scammer. Stop replying, never send money or gift card codes to someone you haven't met in person, and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
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Reviewed by Anthon Wansland
Head of Product & Co-Founder
Serus is a privacy company with paid tools to find and remove your personal data. This page is free and based on official sources.
How it works
The FTC describes a common pattern: you meet someone on a dating site or app, or they contact you on Instagram or Facebook, and soon they want to email, call or message you off that platform. Google Chat (the successor to Hangouts) is one of the places people get asked to move to. The new chat is private, so the first app can't spot the scam.
The scammer builds trust, sometimes messaging several times a day. They say they can't meet in person because they work overseas, on an oil rig or in the military. Then comes a story and a request for money: medical bills, a plane ticket to visit you, a visa, fees to get out of trouble. Some offer to help you start investing in cryptocurrency.
They also tell you how to pay: a wire through a company like Western Union or MoneyGram, gift cards with the PIN codes read out, a money transfer app or crypto. These are hard to get back, which is why scammers choose them.
The Hangouts-specific part is only the venue. The script is the same as any romance scam, so our romance scam guide applies.
Sources checked: consumer.ftc.gov, support.google.com
Last verified against the official page:
Red flags
- A new contact quickly asks to move the chat to Hangouts, Google Chat or another private app
- They can never meet in person or video call: they're overseas, deployed or working on a rig
- A sudden emergency that needs money: surgery, a ticket, a visa, a fee
- They ask for payment by wire, gift card PINs, a transfer app or crypto
- Their profile photo shows up under another name in a reverse image search
- You feel pushed to act right now
Example message
Hi dear, I don't use this app much. Can we talk on Google Chat instead? Add me at [email address]. I'm working abroad right now and I'm in trouble with a payment for my daughter's hospital. Could you help me with [amount] in gift cards? I'll pay you back when I'm home.
What to do
- 1
Stop talking to them
Don't reply, even to say no. The FTC's first step for a suspected romance scam is to stop communicating with the person immediately.
- 2
Block and report them in Google Chat
In Google Chat or Gmail, open the chat, choose More options, then Block & Report. Tick Report to Google if you want Google to review the last 50 messages of the conversation. Also report the profile on the app where you met.
- 3
If you paid, contact the company or bank right away
Tell your bank, card issuer, wire service or gift card company you paid a scammer and ask for a refund. The FTC says to do this as soon as possible.
- 4
Check the story
Do a reverse image search of their profile photo, and search the job they claim plus the word "scammer". Talk to someone you trust before sending anything.
- 5
If you shared personal details, tighten your accounts
Change passwords for accounts you mentioned and turn on two-step verification. Our guide on what to do after a data breach walks through it.
Report it
Check if your details are exposed with Serus
Scammers find your number and address on data brokers and people-search sites. Serus removes them.
Why you got it
Romance scammers often start from public profiles, but the details they use to seem real (your city, your job, family names) can come from people-search sites and old breaches. Serus finds the data brokers that list you and removes the listings, and alerts you if your email or phone number shows up in a breach, so fewer scammers can reach you.
Frequently asked
Is Google Hangouts itself a scam?
No. Google Chat and Hangouts are real Google services. Scammers use any private chat app to take a conversation away from the dating app or social site where you met.
Why do they want me to move to Hangouts or Google Chat?
The FTC notes romance scammers ask you to email, call or message them off the platform where you met. A private chat means fewer people can notice the scam.
What does blocking someone in Google Chat do?
The person can't send you messages. Links or attachments they sent before you blocked them stay active, so don't open them. If you report them, Google gets a copy of the last 50 messages of the conversation.
I sent money. What now?
Contact the company or bank you paid through right away, tell them it was a scam and ask for a refund, then report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Sources
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we'll re-check it.
