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Valentine’s Day is prime time for scammers, who exploit the season’s emphasis on romance and gift-giving. However, you can verify your February 14th goes off without a hitch by avoiding these scams.
Online Romance Scams (Catfishing)
Scammers create fake online dating profiles or social media personas using stolen photos and made-up backstories. Once they’ve gained a victim’s trust, they fabricate emergencies—like sudden medical bills, flight expenses to visit, or other urgent financial needs—and ask for money.
Any time you receive undue pressure to suddenly send cash to someone is a huge red flag and a sign that a scam is underway.
Gift and E-Card Scams
Around Valentine’s Day, you may receive emails or texts offering you an electronic greeting card (“e-card”) from an “admirer.” In some cases, these are phishing emails that contain malware or links to malicious sites.
One way to spot these phishing scams is poor grammar and spelling, though AI chatbots have made this method less effective. Another clear sign of a scam is that there is no specific sender (not in the romantic Valentine’s Day mystery way!) and that the gift or e-card contains a link to a random website. Unfortunately,AI phishing scams are everywhere, but you may spot them with some effort.
Fake Online Florists or Gift Shops
Scammers set up fraudulent websites offering amazing discounts on popular Valentine’s Day items such as flowers, chocolates, or jewelry. They take payment but never deliver the products or items of far lower quality than promised.
Be wary of extremely low prices that seem too good to be true. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is, and scammers know most folks can’t resist the pull of an amazing deal. Another sign that you’re dealing with a fake florist or gift shop is a lack of contact information or a physical address.
“Secret Admirer” Messages
You might receive a text, social media direct message, or email claiming you have a “secret admirer.” The scammer asks you to “confirm your identity” or “click a link to see the message.” Doing so could install malware or lead you to a spoofed site that steals personal data. Fake messages andemails are among the most common types of phishing.
Similar to the fake e-cards, unsolicited requests for personal information such as your name, address, or financial details are a huge red flag. Similarly, anything with a suspicious link, unusual domain, or shortened URL could indicate that you’re being pushed to a phishing site.
Counterfeit Gift Cards or Coupons
Scammers sell fake gift cards or coupon codes—often through online marketplaces or social media ads—at a discounted rate. You pick one up thinking you’ve grabbed a bargain, only to discover they’re worthless when trying to redeem them. Or, you send one to a loved one as a lovely Valentine’s gesture, only for them to realize it’s unusable.
Just like the fake florists and other gift sites, extremely high discounts are always a worry. Sure, there are some major discounters, and some big deals do exist. But they’re few and far between, especially for big-ticket items. For example, why would someone sell a brand-new Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra for under half-price just weeks after its February 2025 launch date?
They’re not; it’s a scam.
Tips to Avoid Valentine’s Day Scams
While Valentine’s Day comes with an uptick in romance-related scams, much of the advice on avoiding these is “standard.” That is to say, these tips are universal and will always help you avoid scams, not just on Valentine’s Day.
Remember, trust your instincts when in doubt—if something feels “off,” it’s better to err on the side of caution.
