Think Before You Click: Romance Scam Warning From FBI Jacksonville Ahead of Valentine’s Day
February 3, 2026 - February is a time when people think about love and connection. Unfortunately, not everyone who seems to be looking for love has good intentions. FBI Jacksonville wants to make sure you are aware of perpetrators posing as perfect partners to exploit your heart and wallet.
In 2025, more than 550 victims from Jacksonville to Daytona, Gainesville, Tallahassee, and the Panhandle reported losing $22.2 million in romance scams. Last year, confidence and romance fraud complaints and losses nationwide exceeded those recorded in the 2024 Internet Crime Complaint Center Annual report, showing it continues to be a growing problem—not just in February but year-round. It’s likely that many more losses went unreported.
Romance scammers use sophisticated and well-rehearsed tactics to trap unsuspecting individuals. Some create fake profiles on dating sites, apps, chat rooms, and other social media sites and send messages to establish romantic connections with their targets. Once contact has been established, romance scammers shower their targets with attention and romantic affection—even as they avoid meeting in person by claiming overseas work, travel, or family responsibilities. They may also ask for money to purchase plane fares to come visit, to cover unexpected and urgent work expenses, or to assist with medical emergencies. Romance scammers may introduce their targets to lucrative but secretive investment opportunities, soliciting them to send significant funds but forbidding them from talking to friends and family about the investment.
We see them increasingly create fake profiles on dating sites and apps or contact their targets through popular social media sites. They’re exploiting generative AI to commit fraud on a larger scale, which increases the believability of their schemes. They use generative AI tools to assist with language translations to limit grammatical or spelling errors for foreign criminal actors targeting U.S. victims. They also produce photos to share with victims in private communications to convince victims they are speaking to a real person.
If you develop a romantic relationship with someone you meet online, please consider the following:
- Research photos and profiles in other online search tools and ask questions.
- Do not share sensitive personal information, such as social security numbers, home addresses, or financial account information.
- Never send money, gift cards, or cryptocurrency to someone you have never met in person.
- Do not allow attempts to isolate you from family and friends.
- Be wary of tragic stories designed to elicit your compassion and assistance. Romance scammers often share tales of severe life circumstances, family deaths, injuries, or other hardships to explain why they cannot meet in person and require financial assistance.
- If you are planning to meet someone in person you have met online, meet in a public place and let someone know where you will be and what time you should return home.
- If you are traveling to a foreign country to meet someone, 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.
Victims may be hesitant to report being taken advantage of due to embarrassment, shame or humiliation. It’s important to remember, romance scams can happen to anyone at any time.
If you suspect an online relationship is a scam, stop all contact immediately and file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. You can report scams even if you haven’t lost money. If you are a victim who has already sent money, immediately report the incident to your financial institution.
Resources
- https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/romance-scams
- https://www.ic3.gov/AnnualReport/Reports/2024_IC3Report.pdf
Note: The exact numbers for confidence and romance fraud scams for 2025 will be available on www.ic3.gov once the Internet Crime Complaint Center’s (IC3) annual report is finalized.
Note: Media interested in an interview must contact Catherine Coennen at FBI Jacksonville at ccoennen@fbi.gov.
FBI Jacksonville
Public Affairs Officer
media.jacksonville@fbi.gov
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
