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OMAHA — The Omaha Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is raising awareness about romance scams ahead of Valentine’s Day.
Many people have good intentions when looking for love and companionship. However, criminals will sometimes prey upon those good intentions to victimize innocent people.
In 2025, more than 320 victims from Iowa and Nebraska reported losing approximately $11.5 million in romance scams. Around half of these victims were aged 60 and older. These numbers are almost certainly underreported because of shame, embarrassment, or humiliation felt by victims. Unfortunately, some of these scams may still be ongoing even a year later.
“Romance scammers will say anything and use every form of flattery to gain your trust,” said Eugene Kowel, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Omaha Field Office. “They want you to trust them more than your family, friends, or banks, all who will advise you against sending money to someone online. The best way you can protect yourself is by being discerning in your online relationships. No one online whom you haven’t met should be asking you for money—not a friend, not family, not a romantic partner. But if you do find yourself a victim, contact us immediately. The FBI and our law enforcement partners stand ready to help and see these scammers brought to justice.”
Romance scammers use online dating websites, apps, and social media to connect with victims. They create fake profiles and fake pictures to convince victims they are looking for a long-term relationship. Their requests for money may not come during initial contact. Remember, these scammers spend hours honing their skills against multiple other victims, relying on well-rehearsed scripts to target their victims. Only when they have your full trust will a scammer leverage that trust to access to your wallet. In some cases, the scammers will even use the victim’s bank account to unknowingly transfer criminal proceeds from the United States to locations overseas. In other cases, the scammers will offer unsolicited advice, convincing victims to invest in various companies or cryptocurrency before the scammer steals funds from the purported investments.
With the ability of scammers to now use artificial intelligence to create realistic pictures, videos, and communicate in near flawless language, victims should not rely on their ability to spot a fake profile. All individuals engaging online should be wary of any request for money or any unsolicited financial, investment, or cryptocurrency advice. You should also be wary of scammers who spin a sad story that manipulates you into offering money.
If you develop a romantic relationship with someone you meet online, consider the following:
- Always ask friends and family for a different perspective on online romantic relationships.
- Be skeptical if the individual promises to meet in person, but then always cancels because of some emergency.
- Beware if the individual seems too perfect or quickly asks you to communicate “offline.”
- Cease communications if you face high pressure tactics to send money, invest, liquidate assets, or pay fees to an online contacts.
- Go slowly and ask lots of questions.
- Only use reputable, nationally recognized dating websites; however, be aware that scammers may be using them, too.
- Scammers can use details you have shared on social media and dating sites to better understand and target you.
- Search photos and profiles in other online search tools to see if the image, name, or details have been used elsewhere.
- Do not loan money, provide your financial information, or allow your bank accounts to be used for transfers of funds.
- Do not send cryptocurrency to investment websites or apps without verifying the legitimacy of such investments.
- Do not click links or open attachments sent through email or direct messages if you are unsure exactly who sent the messages.
- Do not allow attempts to isolate you from friends and family.
- Do not blindly believe stories of severe life circumstances, tragedies, family deaths, injuries, or other hardships intended to keep your interest, concern, or manipulate you into making offers of financial support.
- Do not send inappropriate photos that could later be used to extort you.
- If you are planning to meet someone in person you have met online, meet in a public place, and let someone know where you will be and what time you should return home.
If you are traveling to a foreign country to meet someone, check the State Department’s Travel Advisories beforehand at travel.state.gov, provide your itinerary to family and friends, and do not travel alone, if possible.
If you suspect an online relationship is a scam, stop all contact immediately and file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. If you are a victim who has already sent money, immediately report the incident to your financial institution.
