Asked to chat on Zangi? How the move-to-an-app scam works
Quick answer
If someone you met online asks you to move to Zangi or another private chat, then soon asks for money, it's likely a romance scam. The FTC says never send money to an online love interest. Stop contact, report them to the platform and at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
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.
- Comes by
- Social media, App, Text
- Last updated
How it works
Zangi is a messaging app, and an app is only the channel. The FTC doesn't name Zangi. What it does describe is the pattern behind most of these searches.
Someone contacts you on social media, a dating site or a game chat and shows interest in you. Soon they want to write to you directly or talk on the phone, so you move to a private chat app. They say it's love but they live far away, for work or because they're in the military.
Then comes the money. A plane ticket to visit, emergency surgery, or a chance to invest in cryptocurrency with their help, which the FTC says is really an investment scam. The profile is fake and sometimes uses stolen photos of real people. If you send money, it's probably gone.
Sources checked: consumer.ftc.gov
Last verified against the official page:
Red flags
- A stranger flatters you and wants to move to a private chat quickly
- They say they live far away, for work or military service, and can't meet
- They claim an emergency and need money
- They push you to invest in cryptocurrency with their help
- They ask you to pay by gift card, wire transfer, crypto or payment app
- Their photos or story don't hold up when you ask for a live video call
Example message
"I feel such a connection with you. Can we talk on Zangi instead? It's more private. I'm working overseas right now, but I want to meet you. [link]"
What to do
- 1
If you've only chatted
Slow down. Don't send money, photos or personal details. Search for the profile photos online to see whether they belong to someone else.
- 2
Cut off contact
Stop replying and block them. Tell the platform or app where they first contacted you, so it can act on the account.
- 3
If you sent money
Contact your bank or payment app right away and say it was a scam. Banks sometimes can't recover wire or crypto payments, so call quickly.
- 4
If you shared personal details or photos
Change passwords on accounts you mentioned and tighten the privacy settings on your social profiles.
- 5
Report it
File a report at reportfraud.ftc.gov. If you lost money, also file at ic3.gov.
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 find people on social media and dating sites, and the FTC suggests limiting who can see your posts and info through your privacy settings. The more scammers can find about you, the easier it is to build a convincing story. Serus finds the data brokers and people-search sites that list you and removes your info from them, and alerts you when your details show up in a breach, so fewer scammers can reach you. See our guide to data brokers.
Frequently asked
Is Zangi a scam?
The FTC doesn't single out the app. The scam is the person asking you to move there and then asking for money.
Why do scammers want to move to a private chat?
The FTC says scammers want to write or talk to you directly. Moving off the platform where you met means fewer checks on what they say.
Which payments are a red flag?
Cryptocurrency, gift cards, wire transfers and payment apps. The FTC says only scammers tell you to pay these ways.
Where do I report a romance scammer?
Tell the app or platform and report to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Sources
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we'll re-check it.
