Can a real person still use stolen photos?

Yes. That is why image checks should be combined with live verification and timeline consistency checks.

What is the biggest red flag?

Urgent money requests before identity is clearly verified.

Dating Scam Photo Check: How To Verify Before You Trust

Start with behavior, then test the photo

Most scam patterns show up in behavior first: rushed intimacy, refusal to video chat, and sudden financial emergencies. Photo checks are strongest when combined with those signals.

Treat this like risk screening, not detective theater.

Run reverse search in two passes

Pass one: use the original profile image. Pass two: crop tighter around the face. Different engines surface different result groups, so run both.

If the same face appears with unrelated names and locations, that is a serious warning sign.

Cross-check timeline and identity details

Look for inconsistencies between profile age, claimed profession, and social footprint depth. Real people usually leave a normal trail over time.

Scam personas often have polished images but shallow history.

Never send money while verification is unresolved

No exception here. If identity is unclear, freeze transfers. Financial pressure is the turning point in most romance scams.

If payment already happened, preserve chat and transfer records immediately.

How to exit safely

If risk remains high, stop engagement cleanly. Do not negotiate. Block the profile, report the account, and warn anyone else who may be targeted.

You are not overreacting by setting hard boundaries early.