Experts warn of relationship scams
February 14, 2025 – Published on First Coast News Jacksonville, FL
As Valentine’s Day approaches, fraud experts are sounding the alarm about an increasing threat: relationship scams that can leave victims both heartbroken and financially devastated.
One First Coast News viewer, Claire, lost $150,000 to a scammer posing as a U.S. soldier supposedly stranded overseas. “I was contacted by a man via Facebook who said that he was an American soldier trying to get home after serving in Afghanistan,” she said in an email to the Ask Anthony team.
The scope of these scams is staggering. The Federal Trade Commission reported more than 42,000 romance fraud cases in 2023, with victims losing a combined $823 million.
The scams often begin innocuously on social media, dating apps, or even through “wrong number” texts. Cybersecurity strategist Paul Keener of GuidePoint Security warns that scammers expertly mine victims’ social media profiles to forge seemingly genuine connections.
“I think it is important to remember when it comes to these romance scams…everyone is susceptible to this,” Keener said.
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