Unsolicited romance messages could be a scam: don't fall in the trap this Valentine's Day

It was just the other day that we told you about how Gmail scams are through the roof – and they're getting extremely sophisticated. The advice that I gave was: "Lookie, but definitely not touchie!" and now, we're in that type of situation once again. This time around, it's best to skip the "lookie" part as well.

Today, February 14, is Valentine's Day; scammers are getting smarter by the day, so we need to talk about romance scams.

Scammers often exploit holidays and global events to deceive people, with romance scams being a common tactic, Meta's latest blog post informs us. Ahead of Valentine's Day, efforts have been intensified to combat online fraud across Meta's messaging platforms that are used by billions across the world: Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram.

Romance scams involve fraudsters using fake identities to establish romantic connections and solicit money. Just like in real life: you think they love you, but they're after your money, actually. That is, if you have any money in the first place.

Joking aside, these nasty scammers typically pose as successful individuals, typically with military or business backgrounds, and send mass messages to potential victims. If someone responds, they gradually build trust before requesting money or promoting fraudulent investments.

Recent investigations disrupted scams across various platforms. One prevalent scheme involved impersonating US military personnel on social media, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Scammers lured victims by claiming loneliness and seeking love, then moved conversations to private messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram. They often used Nigerian phone numbers and requested wire transfers or gift cards under false pretenses.

Another widespread scam involved impersonating celebrities to target users in the US, UAE, Japan, and other countries. Fraudsters infiltrated fan groups, posting misleading content to initiate conversations. They then requested money via wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or gift cards, pretending it was for romantic gifts or financial assistance.

A third scheme originated from Kenya, where scammers posed as dating agencies targeting people in Africa. They falsely advertised matchmaking services, promising introductions to wealthy men or relationships with African women. Victims were directed to messaging platforms where they were asked to pay fees for contact details.

Stay on the alert, folks!