Cybersecurity experts warn Valentine's, romance scams becoming more sophisticated with AI

Valentine's, romance scams more sophisticated with AI

There's more than romance in the air this Valentine's Day. Cybersecurity experts warn you to be on the lookout for romance and Valentine's scams this week, as the scams are becoming much more sophisticated.

HOUSTON - There's more than romance in the air this Valentine's Day.  Cybersecurity experts warn you to be on the lookout for romance and Valentine's scams this week, as the scams are becoming much more sophisticated.

Online protection company McAfee says romance scams are on the rise.  The company says it blocked 321,509 malicious, romance related URL's just from Dec. 1, 2024, to Jan. 22, 2025.  That's an average of 6,066 blocks a day.

Victim lost $850K to scammer using AI deepfake images of Brad Pitt

The Brad Pitt romance scam has people talking.  A woman in France says she lost $850,000 to a scammer using AI deepfake images of actor Brad Pitt.

"In actuality, it was a deepfake version of the actor.  You can see by the number of images that have been shared, this is about building the long game, developing a relationship over time," explained Amy Bunn, McAfee Online Safety Advocate.

The victim says that over 18 months, the scammer sent her fake love messages and a marriage proposal through Facebook.  He convinced her he had kidney cancer and needed money for medical bills, saying his ex-wife Angelina Jolie had frozen his bank accounts.

Big picture view:

"We know that cyber criminals lure their victims, playing the love game and really pulling on the emotional heartstrings. They work to establish a trust. They form a bond, which they can ultimately exploit for financial gain," said Bunn.  

"I think the biggest red flag is when the conversation turns to money. So when there’s an emergency that has happened, somebody’s sick, or looking to offer some kind of investment," said Cliff Steinhauer with The National Cybersecurity Alliance.

Scams to watch for ahead of Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is this Friday. Cyber security experts are warning you to be extra cautious for scams.

By the numbers:

Texas ranks third in the country for romance scam losses, with over $114 million from 2022 to 2023, according to a report by the Investor Loss Center.

But it's not just romance scams.  Experts warn shoppers to watch out for fake ads on social media offering Valentine's flowers, jewelry or gifts.

"You definitely want to check that you’re ordering from someone that’s trustworthy and not just following social media ads that can lead to malicious websites.  And typically there will be very cheap prices or deals better than you’d find anywhere else," said Steinhauer.

What you can do:

Here are tips from cybersecurity experts to protect yourself from romance scams:

• Be cautious about who you connect with online,
• Be skeptical of overly complimentary messages to gain your trust,
• Watch out for early devotion: scammers often move quickly to get money,
• Be wary of profiles that seem too good to be true.