I am 34 years old. At 28, I broke up with my college girlfriend. We thought we would get married soon but she moved abroad with her family, and that was the end.

Since then, I have not dated anyone. During the last Lunar New Year, my parents nagged me about getting married, which pressured me to think about dating again.. But who could I date? Most of my friends are already married with kids so finding someone in my social circle feels impossible.

A few months ago, I put my pride aside and downloaded a dating app. I picked a few decent photos for my profile and waited to see if I would match with anyone.

Not long after, I matched with an attractive 24-year-old woman. Although I was hesitant to strike up a conversation because of the 10-year age gap, she messaged me first. After three days of chatting we got along really well, and I thought I might have met the right person.

She suggested a first date, saying, “Let’s go to this place, I went there with friends and it is really good.” I agreed and arrived to find she was already there. She looked even prettier in person.

As soon as we sat down, she ordered a lot of food and drinks, far more than two people could eat. At the end of the meal, the bill came to VND7 million ($270), and I was shocked. She said, “I forgot my wallet today, can you pay? We will split it later.” Of course, there was no “split” afterward.

I paid the bill and it left me with a few hundred thousand dong in my account, just enough scrape by until the next payday. I realized I had been scammed even though I had read stories online about people being tricked through dating apps. In those stories, people on dating apps team up with certain restaurants, lure their dates there, order large amounts of food and drinks, and get a cut of the bill as payment later.

For anyone using dating apps, be very careful. If you notice similar signs, find a way to get out immediately.