Top Valentine’s Day Scams to Watch Out For

Valentine’s Day is a very popular holiday and a major shopping event early in the year. So much so, that projections from the National Retail Federation estimate consumer spending could reach $27.5 billion.

However, scammers are also out in full force to exploit those planning a romantic evening, buying gifts or searching for love online.

Let’s look at the fraudulent schemes you can expect:

1.       Spam Emails and Phishing Scams

Scammers take advantage of Valentine's Day by sending mass phishing emails that promise romantic deals, free giveaways, and surveys that provide you with Valentine’s Day surprise gifts. These emails often contain malicious links that lead to fake login pages designed to steal credentials or install malware on your device.

Red Flags:

• Emails with generic greetings like “Dear Customer” instead of your name.
• Urgent requests to click a link or verify personal information.
• Suspicious attachments posing as love letters or gift confirmations.

How Scamio helps: Upload a screenshot of the email to Scamio or give it a link to scan phishing attempts, helping you avoid falling victim to these scams.

2.      Fake websites

Scammers often create phony e-commerce websites that mimic legitimate retailers, particularly in categories like jewelry, flowers, and romantic gifts. They use official images, sale promotions, and logos from well-known companies to lure in unsuspecting shoppers and steal personal and credit card information. The impostor website offers massive discounts that seem unrealistic and requests payment through unfamiliar payment methods, and customer service is often unreachable.

How Bitdefender Scamio helps: Bitdefender Scamio can scan suspicious links and detect fake e-commerce sites before you enter your payment details, ensuring your finances and identity remain safe.

3.      Romance scams

Romance scams prey on individuals looking for love. Scammers create fake profiles on dating apps or social media, establishing quick emotional connections with their target. They often use fake stories—claiming to be in the military, working overseas, or experiencing financial trouble—to elicit your sympathy and ultimately ask for money.

Victims of romance scams often lose thousands of dollars and are left emotionally devastated after realizing they were manipulated.

Red Flags:

• The relationship escalates too quickly.
• They refuse to meet in person.
• They ask for money or personal financial information.
• They promote quick investment schemes

How Scamio helps: Scamio can analyze messages and proposals for common scam patterns and warn you before you become involved with a potential scammer.

4.      Wrong Number Scam

Similarly, an innocent text from a “wrong number” may also be a scam attempt. The scammer pretends to have dialed the wrong contact but continues the conversation in a friendly or flirtatious way. Eventually, they try to guide you into signing up for an adult website, a fraudulent dating platform, or a phishing page designed to steal personal information.

Red Flags:

• The messages keep coming despite you ignoring them.
• The sender encourages you to visit a website.
• They try to extract personal details from you.

How Scamio helps: Scamio can identify suspicious links and analyze messages for indicators of a scam, alerting you before you engage.

5.       Fake florist scams

Last-minute flower orders can lead to fraudulent purchases. Some phony online florists take payment but never deliver the flowers, while others send subpar or wilted arrangements. Many consumers report falling victim to fake florists who advertise heavily around Valentine’s Day but disappear after taking orders.

Red Flags:

• The florist has no reviews or overwhelmingly negative ones.
• The website lacks a return policy.
• The prices are unbelievably low for high-end or last-minute arrangements.

How Scamio helps: Scamio can verify online sellers and help identify fraudulent websites before you make a purchase.

How to Stay Safe This Valentine’s Day

• Verify websites – Before making any purchases, check online reviews and ensure you’re shopping on an official website. Don’t fall for offers or promotions that seem too good to be true. You can use Bitdefender Link Checker and Bitdefender Scamio to check the validity of a link you encounter in an email, text or social media platform.

Scamio can analyze any texts, messages, links, QR codes, or images and give you a verdict on whether they are part of a scam. You can also help others stay safe by sharing Scamio with them in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Romania, Australia, and the UK

• Exercise caution with strangers you meet online – If you’ve never met in person, be wary of someone professing love too quickly, asking for financial help or offering get-rich-quick opportunities.
• Don’t send money or provide personally identifiable information – Whether it’s a person you met on a dating platform, or an urgent request, never send money to strangers online.
• Ignore suspicious messages – If you receive a “wrong number” text that turns into a conversation, don’t engage. Block and report the number.
• Check for secure payment options – Always use secure payment methods and avoid paying with wire transfers or cryptocurrency.

This Valentine’s Day, let Bitdefender Scamio be your AI-powered scam detector, ensuring that your holiday is filled with love, not fraud.