AI has helped these scams blossom. But the tax code now offers little relief for those who have lost money to a romance scam—unless it turns into an investment scam.

Romance scams are a major threat all across the country. In 2024, there were 65,000 cases just reported, more than $1.1 billion.

These digital predators are exploiting vulnerable adults through social media, dating apps, and even online games, with artificial intelligence making the deceptions increasingly difficult to detect.

These cons are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

Love is in the air, they say — well, that might just be the scammers waiting to pocket your money. In this first iteration of Money’s scam roundup, we go over the most notorious schemes you should watch out for this Valentine’s week.