FBI Warns of Romance Scams Ahead of Valentine’s Day

As Valentine’s Day approaches, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is urging people to stay cautious online because the cases of romance fraud are on the rise, particularly during a period when fraudsters are targeting lonely individuals.

As per the FBI, these scams are also known as confidence fraud, which refers to situations where offenders pose as legitimate persons online to fool their targets into giving them money and/or personal details by first developing emotional closeness.

The recent release of a public awareness message by the FBI San Diego Field Office describes alarming local statistics.

Damages initiated by romance scams in the San Diego area could be observed in the fact that in 2025, over 250 local victims reported that they had lost a total of over 9.6 million dollars in similarly fraudulent schemes. The officials claim that these frauds typically begin on dating apps, social media platforms, or chats.

Fraudsters usually take time to gain confidence before falsely creating an emergency, travel issues, or financial problems to coerce victims to remit money.

Also, specifically today, criminals tend to include AI-created images, videos, and messages in their plans to make fake identities even more realistic and romance frauds harder to trace than ever (FBI).

Officials advise people to take their time in getting to know someone, watch out for red flags, and never send money, cryptocurrency, gift cards, or other valuables to an individual they have not met in person.

On this coming Valentine's Day, the government is reminding people once again that any romance activity involving a person and a fraud involves an emotional appeal and a sense of trust, and that an individual must be sensitive to the typical red flags in order not to lose money.