{"id":226625,"date":"2026-02-10T05:55:50","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T13:55:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?p=226625"},"modified":"2026-02-09T08:36:42","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T16:36:42","slug":"online-dating-ai-research-romance-scams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/internet-security\/online-dating-ai-research-romance-scams\/","title":{"rendered":"1 in 7 Lose Money to Romance Scams. Spot the Red Flags:"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cI signed up for\u00a0an app\u00a0because it felt like the only realistic way to meet people as a working single mom.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Jules, a healthcare professional in her 40s, turned to online dating while balancing work, school, and raising her child after the pandemic.\u00a0Then she met\u00a0\u201cAndy.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He seemed like a great guy. He knew her area and even shared pictures of himself at restaurants, wineries, and neighborhood spots Jules recognized. Their early conversations felt ordinary and he seemed invested in her life and well-being.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe didn\u2019t ask for money right away; he built trust first,\u201d she said. \u201cSo when the investment came up, it didn\u2019t feel risky. It felt like help.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Andy\u00a0claimed\u00a0he was successful in cryptocurrency\u00a0and said he could\u00a0show\u00a0her how\u00a0to\u00a0pay down debt, get ahead financially, and finally have some breathing room.\u00a0<\/span>Jules decided, cautiously, to\u00a0try it. And\u00a0because\u00a0the accounts\u00a0appeared to show\u00a0gains, and she was even able to withdraw\u00a0small amounts\u00a0of money,\u00a0Jules\u00a0believed the\u00a0opportunity was real.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But the crypto app\u00a0<\/span><\/b>wasn\u2019t\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>real. And neither was Andy.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One day,\u00a0weeks later,\u00a0the account\u00a0was\u00a0suddenly\u00a0frozen.\u00a0A\u00a0message popped up saying\u00a0the only way to access her funds would be through a $25,000\u00a0\u201ctax payment\u201d.\u00a0She paid the\u00a0\u201ctax,\u201d\u00a0worried about losing her investments.\u00a0But the account\u00a0immediately\u00a0froze again, this time facing the claim of money laundering.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s\u00a0when she realized something\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0right. And Andy suddenly disappeared.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By the time Jules realized it was a\u00a0scam,\u00a0she\u00a0had lost more than $80,000.\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Jules said\u00a0$25,000 of\u00a0that\u00a0was borrowed from her\u00a0elderly\u00a0mother.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe\u00a0financial loss\u00a0was devastating, but the emotional toll was worse. I felt ashamed and completely alone.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

New research: Romance scams climb ahead of Valentine\u2019s Day<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Jules\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0alone. Unfortunately, this\u00a0type of\u00a0long-con romance\u00a0scam\u00a0is increasingly common. And AI-powered tools are only helping\u00a0scammers increase their\u00a0attack\u00a0volume.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to McAfee\u2019s 2026 Valentine\u2019s Day research,\u00a0<\/span>1 in 7 American adults (15%) say they have lost money to an online dating or romance\u00a0scam<\/span><\/b>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The cost of losses varied widely between age groups. American adults between ages 35 to 44 were among the most likely to report higher losses, over $5,000, while younger Gen Z victims reported smaller losses under $500.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Of the people\u00a0who\u2019ve\u00a0lost money to an online dating\u00a0scam, just 1 in 4 (24%) were able to recover all their money.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Exposure is widespread even when money is not lost.\u00a0<\/span>More than half of Americans say they have been asked to send money or share financial information by a potential romantic partner<\/span><\/b>, often through payment apps, wire transfers, gift cards, QR codes, or cryptocurrency.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

McAfee Labs data reinforces what consumers are experiencing. During the peak dating season leading into Valentine\u2019s Day, Labs blocked\u00a0<\/span>hundreds of thousands of romance-related malicious URLs<\/span><\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0observed\u00a0surging activity tied to fake profiles, cloned dating apps, and\u00a0AI-driven chat\u00a0behavior.\u00a0In fact, Labs reported significant\u00a0AI\u00a0chat bot spam, with some users receiving more than 60 messages in 12 hours,\u00a0even without a profile photo.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At the same time, fewer\u00a0scams\u00a0relied on obvious malicious links, suggesting scammers are shifting toward persuasion and relationship-building instead.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0research\u00a0at a\u00a0glance: Fast\u00a0facts<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n