“I've never felt this way before”: fast feelings, or a script?

Reading the line

Love bombing is the practice of overwhelming someone with affection, attention and declarations of specialness early in a relationship. It can feel wonderful — who doesn't want to be told they're the one person who really gets someone? But in a healthy relationship, deep feelings usually grow alongside shared experiences, time, and the gradual building of trust. When the intensity arrives before you've met, before you've seen each other's lives, and before you've had a single disagreement, it's not intimacy; it's acceleration. The phrase 'I've never felt this way before' is designed to make the relationship feel fated and unique, which makes ordinary caution feel like a betrayal of destiny. It also creates a subtle obligation: if this is so rare, surely you owe it to each other to move fast, share more, trust more, and worry less.

What it does for the sender

Scammers use love bombing because it works faster than any other manipulation tactic. The goal is to get you emotionally invested before you have time to verify the basics: who they are, where they live, whether their story holds up. Once you believe you've found something extraordinary, you're less likely to ask for a video call, less likely to reverse-image-search photos, and more likely to explain away inconsistencies as nerves or romantic intensity. Love bombing also isolates you. If your friends find the pace strange, you may dismiss their concern because 'they don't understand what we have'. That isolation is useful later, when the story turns to money or personal information. The script doesn't need you to be naive; it needs you to be swept up.

Where the conversation tends to go

1. 1Daily good-morning and good-night messages that feel devoted before you've met
2. 2Pet names and talk of a future together within days or weeks
3. 3Impatience with your caution, framed as not believing in the connection
4. 4A request to move off the app, share photos, or keep the relationship secret
5. 5Eventually, a crisis that only you can solve because you're 'the only one who understands'

When there's nothing wrong with it

Real chemistry is real, and some people do feel a strong spark early. The difference is pacing and respect. A genuine person with strong feelings will still want to meet you, will still answer normal questions, and will not punish you for wanting to slow down. They'll be excited, not possessive. They'll say nice things, but they'll also have ordinary days, bad moods, and details of a life that don't revolve around you. If the intensity is paired with evasion — no video, vague answers, pressure to commit quickly — then the feelings are probably being performed. If it's paired with openness and patience, it may just be a fast-starting connection.

Replies that keep you safe

Already replied, paid or shared something?

If you've already shared personal information, photos, or money under the pressure of intense early feelings, stop and take a breath. Strong emotions don't make you foolish; they make you human. Now focus on facts: reverse-image search their photos, check whether their story is consistent, and ask someone you trust for a second opinion. If money has moved, contact your bank and report to ic3.gov and reportfraud.ftc.gov. Report the profile on the app and keep screenshots. And remember that a real connection will survive your caution; a script will not.

Suss explains common patterns in online dating messages. It is not a background check, not legal or financial advice, and a single line is never proof that someone is lying. Use it as one signal among several.