Romance scams are one of the most emotionally damaging forms of online fraud. Scammers invest time in building trust through ongoing conversation and emotional connection, creating a false sense of intimacy, a tactic that becomes especially effective around Valentine’s Day. Once that trust is established, it is used to pressure victims into sharing money, financial details, or sensitive personal information.

Why Romance Scams Spike Around Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day, along with the lead-up to it, is one of the busiest periods for romance scammers. Feelings of loneliness or pressure to find connections can make people more vulnerable to emotional manipulation.

Similar spikes also occur during:

• The holiday season (November–December), when people are distracted or feeling generous.

• Summer months, when travel and “holiday romance” scams are more common.
  
  

Scammers pay close attention to these emotional highs and lows and time their approaches accordingly.

How Scammers Usually Make First Contact

Romance scammers rarely announce themselves. Instead, they ease into conversations in ways that feel natural or even flattering. Common starting points include: 

Direct Messages on Social Media 

Scammers often reach out via platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn rather than dating apps.
 

Typical tactics include:

• The “mistaken identity” message, such as “Sorry, is this Sarah?” or “I think I’ve got the wrong number”.

• Compliment-heavy openers, commenting on a photo or post and quickly creating a sense of connection.
   

Dating Apps

On dating platforms, scammers use carefully curated profiles designed to look appealing and trustworthy. Watch for:

• Professional-looking photos that feel too polished.

• Vague bios with little personal detail.

• A rapid emotional connection after only a few messages.
   

Often, they’ll try to move the conversation off the app quickly to private messaging platforms like WhatsApp or Telegram, claiming they “don’t check the app often”.

Key Red Flags to Watch For

Behavioral Red Flags 

• Expressing love, using pet names, or talking about commitment very early on can be a tactic to fast-track trust and emotional dependence.

• Quickly pushing conversations to private messaging apps or texts reduces visibility and makes it harder to trace or report them.

• Repeated excuses for skipping video calls, broken cameras, poor connections, security restrictions, or sudden emergencies are common.
   

Money-Related Red Flags 

• Asking for money due to medical bills, travel issues, business problems, or temporary hardships.

• Promises of easy returns or “guaranteed” investments, often through platforms they control or recommend.

• Requests involving gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, or asking you to move or receive money on their behalf.
   

Profile & Communication Red Flags 

• Profiles may use stock-style images or photos that appear professionally staged.

• Background information may be minimal, scripted, or shift when questioned.

• Becoming angry, desperate, or manipulative if you hesitate, ask questions, or refuse to send money.
  

What to Do If Something Feels Off 

If a conversation starts to raise doubts, trust your instincts and act quickly.

• Stop communicating straight away.

• Never send money or share financial details.

• Run a reverse image search on their photos.

• Report the profile on the platform where you met them.

• Contact your bank immediately if money or details have been shared.

• Report the incident to Scamwatch or the Department of Internal Affairs.
   

Romance scams are designed to create urgency and emotional pressure. Slowing down or stepping away entirely is often the safest move.