“The internet here is too bad for video”: the excuse that keeps the camera off

Reading the line

This excuse is powerful because it's rooted in real life. Rural areas, cheap hotels, developing infrastructure, crowded networks, and expensive roaming data all genuinely make video calls difficult. That reality gives a fake profile cover to avoid the one test they can't pass: being seen live. The line is usually delivered with an apology, sometimes with a photo or voice note offered as a substitute, and often with a promise that things will be better soon. The trick is that 'soon' never arrives, or it arrives and another excuse replaces it. The goal is to spend your patience while deepening your emotional investment. If you accept that video is impossible, you accept that the relationship can only exist in the form most useful to the scammer: text, photos, and voice, all of which can be faked or stolen far more easily than a live call where you choose what happens.

What it does for the sender

It is the perfect indefinitely renewable excuse. Unlike 'my camera is broken', which implies a repair date, bad internet can last as long as the scammer needs it to. It also shifts blame onto geography rather than the person, so pushing back feels like you're doubting their circumstances rather than their identity. Scammers often combine it with small acts of generosity: they send a voice note, a selfie 'taken just now', or a sweet message about how much they wish they could call. These substitutes are designed to make you feel cared for even without the call, so you stop asking. The deeper purpose is to train you to associate verification with disappointment and substitutes with affection. Over time, the idea of a video call starts to feel pushy rather than normal.

Where the conversation tends to go

1. 1A string of cancelled calls, each blamed on a different network issue
2. 2Voice notes and photos offered as 'the next best thing' while video remains impossible
3. 3A growing emotional bond built entirely on text and curated media
4. 4Irritation or hurt feelings when you raise the issue again
5. 5Eventually, a reason they need help — and still can't video call to prove who they are

When there's nothing wrong with it

Bad internet is absolutely real. People travel, live in remote places, use cheap plans, and stay in hotels with terrible Wi-Fi. A genuine person will usually suggest a workaround: a call from a coffee shop, a friend's house, a workplace, or a different app. They'll remember they promised to try and will follow up without prompting. They might also offer a spontaneous photo doing something you suggested, or a voice call instead of video as a temporary step. The tell is effort over time. One network problem is life; a chain of network problems that always prevents verification is a script.

Replies that keep you safe

Already replied, paid or shared something?

If you've been accepting network excuses for weeks and have already shared personal information, money, or intimate photos, it's time to verify or step back. Reverse-image search their pictures, look for contradictions in what they've told you, and consider whether their life shows up anywhere independent of the chat. If money has changed hands, stop sending, call your bank, and report to ic3.gov and reportfraud.ftc.gov. Report the profile to the dating app and keep your screenshots. If you're being threatened with intimate images, do not pay and read the Suss sextortion guide. Bad internet doesn't last forever; a lie does.

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.