CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Valentine's Day is right around the corner. Although this day is meant to show loved ones some extra TLC, many people around the country are getting scammed.
It starts off simple enough.
"The relationship starts, and you're just chatting back and forth, and then all the sudden they say let's take it off-site and text each other," Tom Bartholomy, President and CEO of Charlotte Better Business Bureau, said.
Then it hits.
"The first tell is people that ask for money, and it could only be a couple of hundred dollars, and that’s to see if this will work or not," Bartholomy said.
From the latest data, $574 million was lost by Americans in 2021 because of these scams. North Carolina is no exception, according to Social Catfish, a company that analyzes romance scams.
In the Tar Heel state, 539 victims lost $17 million, an average loss of $32 thousand per victim. Bartholemy tells WCNC Charlotte that around Valentine's Day is when these scams ramp up.
"It's because of demand people turn more to online sites this time of the year. It’s a new year. Let's start fresh," Bartholomy said.
Bartholomy said the target is usually males 50 and older; most of these scammers are from out of the country, making it hard to track them down.
If it seems too good to be true, or someone is asking for a lot of money, most likely, it's a scam.
Meghan Bragg: Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.