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Revealed Feb 12, 2025 • 6 minute learn

New analysis reveals AI, deepfakes, and rising relationship scams are altering the sport for on-line daters – from texts to Tinder and past

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Greater than half (52%) of individuals have been scammed out of cash or pressured to ship cash or items by somebody they met on-line.
One in 5 individuals (21%) have been approached on social media by somebody posing as a celeb or well-known determine. Amongst those that fell for a “celeb” rip-off, 33% misplaced cash, 21% had their private data stolen, and individuals who misplaced cash reported a median lack of $1,985.
McAfee blocked 321,509 romance-related rip-off URLs in simply seven weeks, signaling a surge in on-line relationship scams forward of Valentine’s Day.

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SAN JOSE, Calif. — As Valentine’s Day approaches, love is within the air – and so are scams. As thousands and thousands flip to relationship apps, social media, and messaging platforms to search out love, new McAfee analysis reveals an alarming rise in AI-driven romance scams, fraudulent relationship apps, and deepfake deception – making it tougher than ever for hopeful romantics to inform the distinction between real love and a digital con.

The On-line Romance Increase

On-line relationship has by no means been extra common; 62% of individuals say they’ve used relationship apps, social media, or messaging platforms to fulfill potential companions. Males (31%) are extra possible than girls (17%) to be actively relationship on-line.

Youthful customers are probably the most lively on-line daters, with 73% of individuals 18-24 utilizing Tinder and platforms like Snapchat (29%) and TikTok (25%) changing into more and more common for relationship. However with extra individuals in search of love on-line, there’s additionally extra danger of scams, as scammers are goal unsuspecting on-line love-seekers with pretend profiles and AI-driven deceptions.

The Rise of the AI-Powered Fauxmance

“Know-how has revolutionized communication by enabling instantaneous connections throughout the globe, fostering deeper relationships and collaboration no matter bodily distance—however sadly, it’s additionally reworking the way in which scammers function,” stated Abhishek Karnik, Head of Risk Analysis at McAfee. “Greater than 1 in 4 individuals (26%) say they or somebody they know has been approached by an AI chatbot posing as an actual particular person on a relationship app or social media, and an alarming 76% imagine scammers might simply use AI to pretend romantic relationships and manipulate victims financially or emotionally. As AI-powered scams turn out to be extra convincing, it’s extra vital than ever for individuals to remain vigilant and defend themselves on-line.”

This concern isn’t unfounded: almost 1 in 3 (32%) imagine it’s attainable to develop romantic emotions for an AI chatbot. As expertise reshapes relationships in surprising methods, it additionally creates new alternatives for fraud.

Rob S., a cybersecurity skilled in his thirties, thought he had made an actual reference to somebody he met in a bunch chat: “We met in a bunch chat and actually hit it off. After exchanging numbers, we began texting and attending to know one another.”

That belief was shattered when she requested for cash: “When she requested for extra money, I began to note the crimson flags. Her messages have been repetitive, her quantity didn’t make sense for her location, and I noticed I may need been talking with a bot—or, on the very least, a scammer.”

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“Wanting again, a number of her messages have been generic and didn’t really feel private. That’s when it hit me—there was an actual likelihood I wasn’t even speaking to an individual.”

However scammers aren’t simply utilizing random AI-generated personas—they’re preying on belief and admiration for well-known figures. Concern over deepfake deception in romance scams is rising quick, and for good cause. 1 in 5 individuals (21%) have been approached on social media by somebody pretending to be a celeb. Amongst those that fell for a “celeb” rip-off, 33% misplaced cash, at a median of almost $2,000 per sufferer.

From Candy Nothings to Scams

AI-powered deception isn’t the one trick scammers have up their sleeves – romance scams aren’t simply occurring on relationship apps, they’re additionally taking part in out throughout social media, messaging platforms, and thru fraudulent web sites designed to imitate authentic relationship companies.

Relationship apps (78%) are the place individuals most continuously encounter potential romance scams, adopted intently by social media (72%), and textual content or e mail scams (65%). That is notably difficult when scammers transcend posing as potential companions and create pretend relationship platforms to steal private and monetary information.

McAfee researchers recognized almost 11,000 makes an attempt to obtain fraudulent relationship apps, with Tinder and OKCupid accounting for 84% of impersonations. In the meantime, McAfee blocked over 321,500 fraudulent URLs linked to romance scams in simply seven weeks – a median of greater than 6,000 rip-off hyperlinks per day.

Heartbreak With a Value Tag

Past pretend profiles and AI-driven deception, scammers are concentrating on individuals’s wallets. 52% of individuals have both been scammed out of cash, valuables, or pressured to ship items by somebody they met on-line. Monetary scams disguised as romantic relationships, just like the infamous “pig butchering” crypto rip-off, have turn out to be more and more widespread.

One devastating case concerned a widow who misplaced $30,000ⁱ to a scammer she met on Fb Relationship over an eight-month interval. The emotional manipulation scammers make use of makes it simpler to persuade victims to half with massive sums of cash.

Maggie Ok., a 25-year-old programmer, thought she had discovered love on-line: “Earlier than I knew it, we have been speaking daily, and I actually believed I had discovered somebody I might belief.”

That belief was shattered when he requested for cash: “I ignored my intestine feeling and despatched the cash. I despatched him $1,200, after which he disappeared.”

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“I’m so scared, I don’t know what’s going to occur subsequent. He knew a lot about me—the place I lived, my routines. I saved questioning if he might use that towards me. Once I reported the rip-off, the police advised me his pictures have been AI-generated. He wasn’t even an actual particular person. That was the scariest half – I had trusted somebody who by no means even existed.”

The best way to Keep Protected Whereas On the lookout for Love On-line

With on-line romance scams on the rise, McAfee urges daters to be further cautious and affords the next recommendation:

Query too-good-to-be-true matches – If somebody avoids video calls, strikes conversations off-platform shortly, or declares love too quickly, proceed with warning.
Confirm their id – Reverse picture search profile photos and test social media exercise to verify if they’re who they declare to be.
Shield private data – Scammers use small particulars like birthdays or pet names to guess passwords and commit id theft.
By no means ship cash or items – No authentic romantic companion ought to ever ask for monetary help.
Use on-line safety instruments – Instruments like McAfee Rip-off Safety can detect and block suspicious messages, phishing makes an attempt, and AI-generated fraud in actual time.
Put money into holistic on-line safety like McAfee+. Use merchandise that present most id, privateness, and machine safety. Assist hold your self and your loved ones secure on-line with safety that detects and protects towards suspicious hyperlinks and websites so you may browse on-line with larger confidence. For these with a supported machine, benefit from McAfee Deepfake Detector to provide you with a warning of deepfake audio inside movies.

About McAfee

McAfee Corp. is a world chief in on-line safety, devoted to safeguarding customers from evolving cyber threats. Targeted on defending individuals, not simply units, McAfee supplies intuitive, built-in safety options to assist people and households keep secure in an always-connected world. Study extra at www.mcafee.com.

Analysis Methodology

A McAfee survey, which centered on the subject of romance scams and the impression of those scams on customers, was carried out on-line in February 2025. 1,000 adults within the US, age 18+, participated within the examine.

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ⁱ https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/feedback/1ibo4ta/elaborate_romance_scam/