Security News > 2021 > February > Romance scams at all-time high: here’s what you need to know
The US Federal Trade Commission, America's official consumer protection watchdog, recently warned that romance scammers are making more money than ever before.
The FTC says that the median average financial loss in a romance scam was $2500, more than ten times as much as the average for other online scams.
The scammer will typically put in a lot of effort here in order to cultivate a sense of being truthful and reliable, so you may exchange hundreds of messages and voice calls with them.
Another common trick that romance scammers use, especially if they think you won't be fooled if they insist that you send money to them, is to show their "Appreciation" by sending money or a "Love gift" such as jewellery to you.
Beware of people "Reaching out" to help you online after you've been scammed, lest you get drawn into a scam all over again.
Ignore any offers of help to "Recover your money" after a scam - it's probably the very same scammers having another try.