Suffolk County Cybersecurity Experts Warn Residents About Valentine's Day Scams

As Valentine's Day neared, cybersecurity experts warned Suffolk County residents to watch for a seasonal spike in romance scams and fraudulent gift offers, noting that Americans lost $672 million to romance scams in 2024, with nearly 18,000 complaints filed. Local warnings on Feb. 9, 2026, urged vigilance around online flower and gift sales, phony delivery alerts, and social media pop-up ads that steer shoppers to scam sites.

Scammers use familiar emotional playbooks and increasingly sophisticated technology to build trust. Cliff Steinhauer, director of information security and engagement at the National Cybersecurity Alliance, said, “Valentine’s Day is a predictable spike period” and that “these scams rely on trust, affection and urgency, which are all amplified around holidays focused on relationships.” He warned that bad actors will attempt to move conversations off dating platforms, noting, “So, they may encourage you to go to Signal or Telegram or WhatsApp, a different messaging service where they can have conversations with you that aren't going to be flagged by the dating platform or by the social media platform.”

The tactics are familiar and patient. Scammers may “love bomb” targets with affection, spend months or even up to a year courting a victim, send small gifts to establish credibility, and then ask for money, gift cards, or cryptocurrency investments. Brian Long, CEO of Adaptive Security and an AI scam expert, cautioned that older adults are often singled out. “We see a large rise in scams against older adults, especially around Valentine's Day, because they target older adults who may be looking for some sort of connection,” he said. “These criminals are very persistent and patient.”

Technology is amplifying harm. Reporters observed that AI, bots and deepfake technology can generate audio and video that “looks like the real person from the profile,” making verification harder. Lisa Plaggemier, Executive Director of the National Cybersecurity Alliance, flagged two practical red flags to watch for: “They quickly move conversations off dating apps to private messaging platforms like Signal, WhatsApp, or regular texting. Dating apps have trust and safety teams monitoring for suspicious activity, so scammers want to avoid detection,” and “They always have excuses to avoid meeting in person. Even as AI technology makes video calls unreliable for verification, meeting face-to-face remains the only way to know you're speaking with a real person.”

The broader cybercrime landscape is large and growing. Industry analysts project trillions in global losses, and experts recommend basic safeguards such as locking down passwords, avoiding unprotected WiFi, and swiping left on phishing attempts. One victim described how a relationship escalated into fraud: “You meet, there are sparks flying, they're telling you they're the love of their life… He had started asking for money, and the stories started getting crazier and crazier.”

For Suffolk County residents, the community impact is both financial and public health related. Financial exploitation can deepen social isolation, strain household budgets and undermine trust in online services, especially for older adults and people with limited access to digital literacy resources. Consumers are urged to slow down, verify sellers and profiles, keep initial conversations on dating platforms, prefer video or in-person verification, and report suspected scams to federal and local law enforcement.

Lawmakers and federal agencies are working to disrupt criminal networks and sharpen defenses, but prevention remains on individuals and community organizations. Lock passwords, beware of offers that seem “too good to be true,” and treat urgent emotional appeals as a red flag this Valentine’s Day.