Overview
- U.S. field offices, federal prosecutors, DHS, and overseas regulators issued pre‑holiday alerts about a seasonal surge in romance and confidence fraud targeting dating apps and social media.
- Authorities report scammers now use generative AI for realistic photos, video calls, and synthetic voices that defeat basic verification, while researchers tracked a sharp rise in Valentine‑themed malicious domains and fake apps.
- Documented losses remain high, including an estimated $1.3 billion nationwide in 2024, more than $40 million in the San Francisco area last year, and $28 million reported by the FBI’s San Antonio division for 2025.
- Investigators describe a consistent playbook: rapid love‑bombing, pressure to move off‑platform, isolation from friends or family, followed by requests for money or a pivot into bogus investment or cryptocurrency schemes often called “pig butchering.”
- Officials urge users to verify images, stay on the platform, be wary of encrypted messaging and even realistic video calls, refuse gift cards, wire transfers, Zelle or crypto, and report incidents to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center or local police.