Think high-end chocolates and dozen-rose bouquets are hard on your wallet? Today’s heartbreak comes with a much steeper price tag. Romance scams are on the rise, and the losses aren’t small change.
According to the Better Business Bureau, romance schemes surged in 2024, generating tens of thousands of reports and hundreds of millions in losses—a trend continuing into 2026 as scammers exploit social media, dating apps and generative AI, with 2025 data from Norton showing romance/friendship scams carried some of the highest financial losses among reported scam types and AI-enabled dating fraud attacks increasing sharply.
What is a Romance Scam?
Romance scams aren’t accidental or sloppy. They’re carefully engineered schemes built on emotional connection, trust and pressure. Scammers create attractive, believable online identities using stolen photos and invest in long, seemingly sincere conversations designed to make the relationship feel real.
Once that emotional foundation is laid, the “love interest” begins to ask for financial help, often with convincing reasons:
- A trip to visit you that suddenly needs funding
- A serious medical issue
- Unexpected legal trouble
- A business emergency only you can solve
The first request is often modest, maybe a few hundred dollars. If the victim sends the money, the needs escalate and excuses multiply. Often, the scammer disappears as soon as the payment clears. In other cases, they remain in contact, continuing to extract funds over weeks or even months.
Once you understand how these scams unfold, the warning signs become easier to spot. Here are some red flags experts recommend watching for:
- Emotional pressure and urgency: A new online “partner” quickly professes deep feelings or pushes you to act before you’ve met in person.
- Avoidance of real-life contact: Repeated excuses to avoid video calls or in-person meetings, even after weeks or months of communication.
- Requests for money or access: Any request to send funds by wire, gift card or cryptocurrency, or to share banking or login credentials, is a major warning sign.
- Too perfect to be true: Highly polished, model-quality photos or profiles that feel scripted may be stolen, with little evidence of a real, everyday life behind them.
Love Shouldn’t Feel Like Pressure
Romance scammers rely on emotion, urgency and isolation. They push for secrecy and fast-moving relationships so you don’t have the chance to spot the warning signs. The earlier you talk about it, the safer you and your loved ones will be.
Share these tips with account holders and loved ones to help keep scams from spreading:
- Never send money to someone you’ve never met in person.
- Take it slow. Real connections don’t rush financial commitments.
- Verify identity. Use reverse image search to check profile photos.
- Talk to someone you trust. A fresh perspective often reveals red flags you might miss.
- Report suspicious contacts. Report scams to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ftc.gov/complaint and notify the platform where contact occurred.
- Trust your instincts. If something feels off, step back and stay safe.
This Valentine’s Day, Protect Hearts AND Wallets
Valentine’s Day is about connection, not deception. By talking openly about romance scams and sharing the warning signs, we can help protect friends, family, coworkers and community members from heartbreak that lasts far longer than February 14.
Remember: real love doesn’t ask for your bank login, and genuine connection shouldn’t cost you your savings.
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Check out our Did You Know video covering love payment scams, and be sure to share it forward with your clients, colleagues and loved ones. You can also explore our Social Media Scams toolkit for additional resources including social media, newsletter, ad content and more to help raise awareness and provide guidance on staying safe online.
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