“Missed You at the Gym” Is a Romance Scam
By Greg Collier
Valentine’s Day is coming, and scammers are doing what they always do: adjusting their scripts to match the season.
This week it’s being reported that there’s been a surge in romance scams that start with one deceptively casual message:
“Missed you at the gym today!”
It looks harmless. Friendly, even.
It is neither.
According to the Better Business Bureau, this is part of a growing “wrong number” smishing campaign designed to pull victims into long-form financial grooming. The BBB says that these texts are engineered to spark conversation, build trust, and eventually extract money.
This is not accidental outreach.
It is deliberate social engineering.
How the Scam Actually Works
The opening message is always low-pressure. It might reference a gym. Sometimes it’s coffee. Sometimes it’s “Sorry I’m late.”
The point is not accuracy. The point is engagement.
Once you reply, even just to say “wrong number,” the hook is set.
From there, scammers pivot into relationship building. They often invent personal backstories, recent breakups, or loneliness to establish emotional rapport. The conversation slowly shifts from casual chat to something more personal.
That’s when the grooming phase begins.
You’re not asked for money right away. Instead, they spend days or weeks creating familiarity. They learn about your life. They mirror your interests. They present themselves as kind, attentive, and reliable.
Only after that foundation is laid does the financial angle appear.
Maybe they suddenly have an emergency.
Maybe they “trust you” and want to share a great investment opportunity.
Either way, the endgame is the same: your money.
And they almost always push for payment through mobile apps or digital platforms, where transactions are fast and nearly impossible to reverse.
By the time victims realize something is wrong, the funds are gone.
So is the scammer.
This Isn’t Romance. It’s Financial Grooming.
What makes this version especially dangerous is how gradual it is.
There’s no urgent demand in the first message. No obvious threat. No flashing red lights.
Instead, it’s a slow emotional setup.
The BBB says scammers “befriend you,” build trust entirely through text, and then introduce a story that creates financial pressure or temptation.
That is grooming behavior.
It’s the same tactic used in classic romance scams, just repackaged for SMS.
And Valentine’s Day provides the perfect cover. People are already thinking about connection. Loneliness is higher. Emotional vulnerability is easier to exploit.
Scammers know this. That’s why these campaigns spike right now.
Red Flags
The biggest warning sign is also the simplest.
You did not ask this person to contact you.
Every single version of this scam starts with unsolicited outreach from an unknown number. There is no genuine scenario where a stranger texting you about the gym evolves into a legitimate relationship or profitable investment.
Other common patterns follow quickly:
- The relationship exists only via text.
- They avoid video calls or in-person meetings.
- They introduce personal hardship or sudden opportunities.
- They steer payments toward apps or crypto.
These are not coincidences. They are structural features of the scam.
What You Should Do Instead
The BBB’s advice is straightforward.
- Do not respond to texts from unknown numbers.
- Do not try to be polite.
- Do not explain that they have the wrong person.
- Block the sender. Report the message. Move on.
Every reply increases the likelihood that your number will be tagged as responsive and resold to other fraud networks.
Engagement is exactly what they want.
Final Thoughts
This scam works because it doesn’t look like a scam.
It looks like a human mistake.
That’s the trick.
The “Missed you at the gym” text is not a wrong number. It is a mass-sent lure designed to pull you into a long con that ends with drained accounts and vanished contacts.
No stranger accidentally texting you in February is about to become your soulmate or your financial advisor.
They are running a script.
And the safest move is not to play along.
Leave a Reply