February 12, 2026

Love is in the air and unfortunately, so are scams. With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, cybercriminals are preparing to exploit unsuspecting victims through a variety of deceptive tactics. Emotional vulnerability and digital trust often make this season especially appealing to scammers.

While threat actors continue to rely on familiar scams, this holiday uniquely lends itself to romance-based schemes. As people become more open to meeting and connecting with strangers online, cybercriminals gain new opportunities to exploit unsuspecting victims. The following provides an overview of prevalent scams and guidance on how consumers can protect themselves during the season of love.

Romance Scams & Fake Dating Profiles

Romance scams are designed to exploit emotions before finances. In these schemes, criminals deliberately build affection and trust with their victims to gain access to money or sensitive personal identifying information (PII). Scammers typically seek out targets on dating apps, social media platforms, and singles websites, often posing as someone they are not. Using a carefully crafted fake persona, they engage in tactics such as “love bombing,” overwhelming the victim with attention and affection to quickly create an emotional bond. Once trust is firmly established, the scammer begins to request money or financial help, frequently citing urgent or fabricated emergency situations.

Romance scams and other confidence schemes account for some of the highest financial losses among Internet-facilitated crimes. Data from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center indicate that in 2023, the most recent year for which statistics are available, approximately 18,000 victims reported losses totaling nearly $700 million.

Fake Florist Sites

Like many fraudulent retail websites, fake floral sites are used by scammers to deceive consumers, particularly during holidays when demand for floral arrangements is high. These sites will capitalize on individuals making last minute purchases by mimicking legitimate sites and luring unsuspecting shoppers. To enhance their credibility, they frequently run fake social media ads that direct victims to counterfeit pages, adding a false sense of legitimacy to the scam.

Victims have reported that some sites will fulfill the order, but the quality will be lacking, or the items are damaged. While other victims claim the flowers were never delivered and the shop becomes unreachable.

How to Protect Yourself:

• Double check website URLS.
• Examine reviews on the website to see possible complaints from victims or unsatisfied customers.
• If possible, use secure payment methods that offer fraud protection.

Event and Ticket Scams

Similar to fake websites, hackers use a variety of tactics to deceive individuals into purchasing counterfeit tickets. Scammers exploit the high demand and limited supply of live events by creating fake ticketing websites with legitimate-sounding names, advertising fraudulent tickets on social media marketplaces, and even offering “last-minute deals” outside event venues. These scams are often tied to genuine events taking place in the area, making them appear more credible and increasing the probability that unsuspecting buyers will be fooled.

The likelihood of falling for these scams rises when purchases are delayed until the last minute. Scammers are aware that urgency and stress can cloud judgment, making individuals more vulnerable during rushed situations.

How to Protect Yourself:

• Purchase tickets from official sources.
• Verify the legitimacy of the event prior to purchase.
• Avoid purchases that require uncommon payment types.

Phishing Scams

In 2023, Checkpoint researchers claimed 1 in every 1,000 Valentine’s Day emails were found to be malicious/suspicious. Cybercriminals are skilled at creating enticing emails, messages, or social media posts that appear to come from a secret admirer or a long-lost love interest. These messages often feature subject lines such as “A Valentine’s Day Surprise for You” or “Someone Has a Crush on You.” Their purpose is to entice unsuspecting recipients into clicking malicious links or downloading infected attachments.

These scams can also include fake e-card messages and online shopping deals. Be aware of email ads promoting flowers, chocolates, and romantic getaways. The emails typically contain links to malicious sites that steal personal information and can infect your device with malware.

How To Protect Yourself:

• Ensure the sender has a trusted email address, showing the correct domain.
• Trust your instincts if the message seems “off” and possibly written by AI.
• Use trusted websites for all online shopping and double check website URLs for any odd variations.

Conclusion

Cybercriminals demonstrate a strong capacity to exploit emotions, while scam tactics continue to evolve in sophistication. Research shows that new domains with ‘Love’ or ‘Valentine’ in their names more than double in January compared to the year-end months. Excluding consumer losses, romance scams have accounted for hundreds of millions of dollars in losses each year, with the total increasing annually.

While Valentine’s Day celebrates love, cybercriminals unfortunately see it as an opportunity to exploit unsuspecting victims. As always, it’s important to remain vigilant during any online activity, especially when shopping for the perfect gift or planning a romantic experience.

To see specific examples and screenshots from the dark web, check out our blog from last year.