Words With Friends scammers: how to spot a fake player

Why scammers use Words With Friends

Word games have a chat box, players of every age, and a reason to talk every day: your next move. That gives a scammer weeks of easy contact without the suspicion a dating app message can bring.

Many players are older, widowed or simply friendly, and don’t expect romance from a game. Scammers count on that. News reports in the US and Australia have covered players losing tens of thousands of dollars to people they met in the game.

How a Words With Friends romance scam works

1. A stranger starts a game, or you get matched at random, and they play well and fast.
2. They chat between moves: compliments, questions about your family, a sad story of their own.
3. Within days or weeks they ask for your number or email to talk “somewhere more private”, often WhatsApp, Telegram or text.
4. Messages become daily and affectionate. They talk about a future together and meeting soon.
5. Then there’s a problem only money can fix: a frozen account, a customs fee, a medical bill or a flight to see you.

Some scripts skip romance and push an investment instead: they made money with crypto and want to show you how. The ending is the same.

Signs your opponent is a scammer

• Their profile picture looks professional, or shows a uniform, a hard hat or scrubs.
• They say they’re a soldier overseas, an engineer on an oil rig, a doctor with an aid group or a widower raising a child alone.
• They want to leave the game chat quickly and won’t say why.
• Their spelling, grammar or time zone doesn’t fit who they say they are.
• They never manage a video call, or the camera is always “broken”.
• They ask for gift cards, crypto, a wire or help receiving a package, even once.
• They ask you to keep the relationship secret from family.

How to check if they’re real

1. Ask them for a photo, or screenshot their game profile picture, and crop it to the face.
2. Search the face and see where else it appears, and under which names.
3. Search the name and job they gave you. A real soldier or doctor usually leaves some public trace.
4. Ask for a live video call at a time you choose. Two minutes is enough.
5. Tell a friend or family member about them. Scammers don’t like outside eyes.

A match on someone else’s social profile, a model’s page or a scam-warning site means the photos are stolen. No match isn’t proof they’re real: the romance scammer questions guide covers what to ask next.

How to report and block a player

Open the player’s profile in the game and use the option to report or block them, so they can’t message you again. Reports help the game remove other accounts the same person runs.

If you’ve already moved to WhatsApp, text or email, block them there too, and keep screenshots of the chat before you delete anything.

What to do if you’ve sent money

1. Stop paying, even if they say it’s the last time or promise to pay you back.
2. Call your bank, card issuer or payment app right away and ask about stopping or reversing the payment.
3. If you bought gift cards, contact the card’s company with the receipt as soon as you can.
4. In the US, report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov.
5. Ignore anyone who offers to recover your money for a fee. That is often the same group, running a second scam.