Dating nowadays takes place prevalently online as there are a variety of social media and dating apps to choose from. This can be a positive as it lets you connect with people may not encounter in your daily life.
However, this technology-enhanced dating scene also means people are more vulnerable to romance scams as they don’t truly know if the person they are talking to is actually who they say they are. New research from McAfee has revealed that there has been an alarming rise in AI-driven romance scams.
The amount of fraudulent dating apps and deepfake scams have also been on the rise, making it difficult for people looking for love to know if they have found a genuine connection or if they are being digitally conned. The cybersecurity company has blocked over 321,500 romance scam URLs in seven weeks as Valentine’s Day approaches.
Online dating has never been more popular, as a staggering 63 per cent of people say they have used dating apps, social media or a messaging platform to meet potential partners. This is most popular with young adults, aged between 18 and 24, as 70 per cent of them have said to use Tinder to find love. Snapchat (25 percent) and TikTok (22 percent) have also been used.
However, as the use of these apps rise, so do the opportunities of scammers. It has been revealed that over a third (39 percent) of Brits have been scammed out of money, or have been pressured into sending money or buying gifts for someone they have met online.
More than one in four app users (27 percent) have said they have been approached by someone pretending to be a celebrity or well known figure – resulting in 30 per cent of people losing money, with an average loss of £3,290, and over a quarter (22 percent) having personal information stolen.
Vonny Gamot, head of EMEA at McAfee, said: “Technology has revolutionised communication by enabling instant connections across the globe, fostering deeper relationships and collaboration regardless of physical distance—but unfortunately, it’s also transforming the way scammers operate.
“Nearly one in five people (17 percent) say they or someone they know has been approached by an AI chatbot posing as a real person on a dating app or social media, and an alarming three in four people (74 percent) believe scammers could easily use AI to fake romantic relationships and manipulate victims financially or emotionally.
“As AI-powered scams become more convincing, it’s more important than ever for people to stay vigilant and protect themselves online.”
What is most alarming is that almost half of Brits (46 percent) believe that it is possible to develop real romantic feelings for an AI chatbot. One cybersecurity professional recalled how he thought he made a real connection with someone he met in a group chat.
Rob said: “We met in a group chat and really hit it off. After exchanging numbers, we started texting and getting to know each other.” However, when the girl started asking for money, the trust Rob had was shattered.
He explained: “When she asked for more money, I started to notice the red flags. Her messages were repetitive, her number didn’t make sense for her location, and I realised I might have been speaking with a bot—or, at the very least, a scammer.
“Looking back, a lot of her messages were generic and didn’t feel personal. That’s when it hit me—there was a real chance I wasn’t even talking to a person.”
An astounding 74 per cent of romance-related scams take place on dating apps, but this is very closely followed by social media (64 percent) and text or email scams (56 percent). The main objective of these deep fake and AI profiles is so scammers can get their hands on your money.
One devastating financial scam left a widow losing $30,000 to a scammer that she met on Facebook, dating over a total of eight months. These scammers use emotional manipulation to convince victims to send them large amounts of money.
Another victim was a 25-year-old programmer called Maggie. She believed she had found ‘the one’ online: “Before I knew it, we were talking every day, and I truly believed I had found someone I could trust.” When he asked for money, she said: “I ignored my gut feeling and sent the money. I sent him $1,200, and then he disappeared.
“I’m so scared, I don’t know what’s going to happen next. He knew so much about me—where I lived, my routines. I kept wondering if he could use that against me. When I reported the scam, the police told me his images were AI-generated. He wasn’t even a real person.
“That was the scariest part – I had trusted someone who never even existed.”
McAfee has shared some tips on how to stay safe online while looking for love, and warns daters to remain extra cautious.
Tips on how to stay safe while online dating
- Question too-good-to-be-true matches – If someone avoids video calls, moves conversations off-platform quickly, or declares love too soon, proceed with caution.
- Verify their identity – Reverse image search profile pictures and check social media activity to confirm if they are who they claim to be.
- Protect personal information – Scammers use small details like birthdays or pet names to guess passwords and commit identity theft.
- Never send money or gifts – No legitimate romantic partner should ever ask for financial assistance.
- Use products that provide maximum identity, privacy, and device protection.