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Take A Beat: FBI San Diego Cautions About Romance Scams This Valentine’s Day

News2026-02-06

February 5, 2026 - FBI San Diego is encouraging anyone contemplating or already engaged in a relationship with someone they met online to proceed with caution this Valentine’s Day. February may be the month for romance, but any day of the year can turn into heartbreak if you do not know what to look out for when it comes to romance scams. “Take a Beat” to evaluate the situation and protect yourself.

In romance scams, also called confidence fraud, a criminal uses a fake online identity to gain a victim’s trust and affection. The scammer convinces the victim they have real feelings for them, either romantic or a close relationship (friend or family). However, this is a ruse that they ultimately exploit to trick the victim into sending money, personal or financial information, items of value, or unknowingly launder money for them.

In 2025, more than 250 victims from the San Diego area reported losing more than $9.6 million in romance scams. And these numbers may not be telling the whole story as oftentimes victims are too embarrassed or ashamed to report it to law enforcement, family or friends. In 2024, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) collected nearly 18,000 confidence and romance fraud reports from victims across the U.S. for a total loss nationwide of more than $672 million. The full 2025 IC3 Annual Report* is expected later this year, but is expected to show confidence fraud and romance scams victimizing Americans is still very prevalent in our communities.

It is important to understand that romance scammers are experts at what they do. They spend hours honing their skills and sometimes maintain detailed journals to better understand how to manipulate and exploit their victims. They use well-rehearsed or scripted schemes to deceive vulnerable individuals looking for love or companionship. Some romance scammers use AI-generated content—images, videos, voices—to help them and their profiles appear more believable and to assist foreign criminals with language translation, which can expand their scheme on a much larger scale against numerous individuals around the world.

After establishing a connection, romance scammers use different tactics to keep their hooks in and convince their victims to do whatever they ask. They may quickly endear themselves to gain trust, sometimes proposing marriage. The scammers often make plans to meet in person, but the con turns into one excuse after another, such as work on overseas projects making it too difficult to travel. These tales make it easier for them to avoid actually meeting in person while also appearing disappointed.

These schemes also make it more plausible for romance scammers to ask you for money, like to purchase plane fare to come visit, cover unexpected or urgent work expenses, or assist with medical emergencies or foreign legal fees. Sometimes romance scammers may introduce their targets to a lucrative but secretive investment opportunity. Then implore the victim to act quicky to send substantial sums of money but forbid them from telling family or friends about the investment.

If you are on dating or other online social apps or have already met someone online and want to get to know them better, we implore you to “Take a Beat.” Slow down and think things through before reacting on emotion alone. Be aware of red flags that may arise, do your due diligence in learning about who the person says they are, and proceed with guarded caution.

Protect Yourself

Be careful what you post publicly online. Scammers use details shared online to better understand and target you and could eventually use that information against you.
Always assume con artists are trolling even the most reputable dating and social media sites.
Research the person’s photo and profile using online searches to see if the image, name, or details have been used elsewhere, or flagged by others as suspicious.
Go slowly and ask lots of questions.
Do not share sensitive personal information, such as a social security number, home address, passwords, or financial account information.
Beware if the individual attempts to isolate you from family and friends. Never leave a dating or social media site to talk on an encrypted messaging platform.
Do not provide compromising photos or any financial information if requested as that could later be used to extort you.
Beware if the individual promises to meet in person, then always comes up with an excuse why they can’t.
Never, ever send money, gift cards, gold bars, or cryptocurrency to someone you have never met in person, or give those items to a courier sent to retrieve them from you. Call a family member, friend, or law enforcement before sending any of these items.
If you are planning to meet your online companion in person, meet in a public place and let someone know where you will be and when you are expected to be home.
If you are traveling to a foreign country to meet the person you met online, check the State Department’s Travel Advisories beforehand (http://travel.state.gov), provide your itinerary to family and friends, and do not travel alone if possible.

Report

The FBI understands victims may be hesitant to report being taken advantage of due to embarrassment, shame or humiliation. But remember, romance scams can happen to anyone at any time.

If you suspect an online relationship is a scam, stop all contact immediately and submit a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov. You can report scams even if you have not lost money.

If you are a victim who has already sent money, immediately report the transfer of funds to your financial institution. You can also contact your local law enforcement agency or the FBI San Diego Field Office at 858-320-1800.

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