Valentine’s Day Scams Target Romance, Shopping and Ticket Buyers

Summary

The article outlines romance, florist, ticket and phishing scams that exploit Valentine’s Day, and offers advice for avoiding fraud, malicious links and requests for money or personal information.

Key points

• Romance scammers use fake profiles and rapid affection to build trust before requesting money or sensitive personal information.
• The article cites FBI data showing about 18,000 reported victims lost nearly $700 million to romance and confidence schemes in 2023.
• Fake florist sites may copy legitimate shops, advertise through social media, deliver poor-quality flowers or fail to deliver orders.
• Counterfeit ticket sellers exploit high demand and urgency through fake websites, social media marketplaces and last-minute offers.
• Phishing messages may pose as romantic notes, e-cards or shopping offers to lure recipients to malicious links or attachments.
• The article recommends verifying profiles, sellers, event details and email senders, using protected payment methods, and avoiding rushed purchases or requests for money from people known only online.