Red flag bingo

Get three in a row and it is time to slow down. Get five and it is time to block.

• “I’ve never felt this way before” after two days
• Wants to move to WhatsApp straight away
• Lives abroad, coming “soon”
• Video call? The camera is broken. Again.
• Profile photos look like an advertising campaign
• A sudden crisis that costs money
• Asks for your bank login codes or account number
• Gets angry when you say no
• Their story changes from week to week

One flag does not always mean something. The pattern is what counts. And if someone you have never met asks for money, it is not bingo. You have already won: end the conversation.