Americans lost $143M in romance scams last year

The Federal Trade Commission is warning romantics to be on guard this Valentine's Day.

Last year, the agency received over 21,000 romance scam complaints. People lost a total of $143 million from the scams, according to the FTC.

“Once these fraudsters have people by the heartstrings, they say they need money, often for a medical emergency or some other misfortune,” FTC officials said. “They often claim to be in the military and stationed abroad, which explains why they can’t meet in person. Pretending to need help with travel costs for a long-awaited visit is another common ruse.”

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