Love or Lies? Beware of Valentine’s Season Romance Scams
Quick Summary
- This Valentine's season, beware of rising romance scams targeting love-seekers on dating apps and social media.
- With reports showing losses exceeding $40 million in Northern California alone, it's crucial to recognize red flags.
- Protect your heart and finances by staying vigilant. If it seems to good to be true, it probably is!
Listen to AI-generated audio summary of this article.
It's the season of love, and romance scams are on the rise. According to an FBI report, scammers are targeting dating apps, social media, and messaging services. The federal bureau in San Francisco reported losses of over $40 million from these scams in the last year, just in Northern California.
Signs of a Romance Scam
- Romance scams can be easy to fall for, especially since they play with a person’s emotions, and can be especially hard to detect when the scammer is charismatic and persuasive.
- Typically, scammers create fake profiles or identities on dating and social platforms to build trust with their victims over time. They then use this trust to extract things like personal information and ask for money or cryptocurrency.
- Lately, the use of artificial intelligence has led to scammers creating realistic videos, photos, and messages that can make it increasingly difficult to distinguish between real and fake.
- Even as scams become more sophisticated, there are some red flags you can watch out for, which could be a giveaway that someone is trying to scam you, including:
- Sudden declarations of love or intense communication very early,
- Refusal to meet in person or video chat,
- Requests for money or financial help,
- Urgency and pressure for you to act quickly, and
- Requests for sensitive information, such as like bank details.
Use your own judgement and trust your gut. If things sound too good to be true, they probably are.
Take Action: Protect Your Heart, Identity, and Bank Account
- Never send money, crypto, or investments based only on online interactions.
- Don't share financial information, social security numbers, or copies of your personal documents.
- Be skeptical of people offering "exclusive" or “guaranteed” investments.
- Talk to friends or someone you trust to get second opinions and guidance if something feels off.
Additional Cybersecurity Resources
- FBI San Francisco Warns Romance Scams Increasing Across the Bay Area This Valentine’s Day
- How Can I Tell if an Email is Phishing?
- Report a Phishing Email
- Don't Take the Bait: Aggies' Guide to Phishing
- Getting Started with Duo
- Tidy Up, Stay Safe: Your Digital Hygiene Action Plan
If you have any questions about this message or cybersecurity at UC Davis, email [email protected].