【eroticism in horror】

Even scammers are eroticism in horrorlooking for love, and that's very much a problem.

That's the takeaway from an equally detailed and depressing warning from the Federal Trade Commission documenting skyrocketing incidents of so-called romance scams. The report, released the Thursday ahead of Valentine's Day, notes that the specific type of online confidence scheme is on a dramatic rise, and that cryptocurrency is at least partially to blame.

"A newly released data spotlight shows that in 2021 reported losses to romance scammers were up nearly 80 percent compared to 2020, and the total reported lost over the past five years has now reached $1.3 billion," cautions the FTC. "According to the spotlight, consumers who paid romance scammers with cryptocurrency reported losing $139 million in total in 2021, more than any other payment amount."

---

You May Also Like

---

---

SEE ALSO: How to find stalkerware on your smartphone

Romance scams, as the name suggests, often involve tricking a victim into believing they've found true love over a dating app or social media site. The thief plays out the fictitious relationship online, always having some excuse as to why they can't meet in person, until they ask for some form of payment — perhaps with the promise that the money is needed to finally travel to see their victim.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

"The scammers' stories might involve a sick child or a temporary inability to get to their money for a whole range of reasons," the FTC explains. "People who lost money to a romance scammer often report sending money repeatedly: they believe they’re helping someone they care about."

Facebook and Instagram, as one might expect, are often the common denominator in these types of scams. Specifically, according to the FTC, Facebook was the starting point for 23 percent of the scams reported. Instagram raked in 13 percent.

To the moon. Credit: Federal Trade Commission

The FTC notes that for victims who paid romance scammers with cryptocurrency, the median loss was almost $10,000.

Notably, this type of scam existed long before cryptocurrency. In fact, perhaps as a testament to the relatively complicated nature of cryptocurrency payments, the FTC reports that in 2021 roughly a quarter of romance scam reports involved victims sending gift cards.

So be on the lookout — especially as Valentine's Day approaches — for online love that seems too good to be true. Because if your newly found Facebook lover asks you to send them Bitcoin or gift cards, it's probably a scam

Topics Cybersecurity Social Media

• Social Good
• Entertainment
• Games
• Digital Culture
• Life
• Shopping
• Tech
• Deals

• Video Games Are Better The Second Time You Play Them
• Does your device support Apple Intelligence?
• Scientists spot puzzling, unusually perfect holes on the ocean floor
• Surprise James Webb Space Telescope image revealed by President Biden
• Apple's RCS messaging support expands to a lot of new carriers
• Google is letting you dig through the treasured Vogue image archive
• James Webb Space Telescope first images: See the stunning photos, including Carina Nebula
• Apple unveils its own Google Magic Eraser tool – Clean Up –at WWDC 2024
• 3 tips for creating viral content from the creators who get it done
• How to watch the NASA live stream of James Webb telescope images

• Rare flyover video of North Korea shows a virtually empty ghost town
• Apple gives $5 million to hurricane relief, will activate donations through iTunes
• Hollywood casting director says Asians are not expressive and people are not having it
• Why I'm in no rush to buy the iPhone X
• Two new tributes to Chester Bennington show how much he meant to the world
• Confessions from monstrous gamers are both hilarious and disturbing
• Tampa's hurricane luck may finally run out Sunday, in a disastrous way
• I am the empress of fall and if you drink hot coffee before the equinox you are dead to me
• Apple's 10th anniversary iPhone has a cool name, and now we may know what it is
• Fyre Festival genius reportedly scammed himself by selling Kanye West, Hamliton tickets

• Nishioka vs. Alcaraz 2025 livestream: Watch Australian Open for free
• United States vs. India 2024 livestream: Watch T20 World Cup for free
• NYT's The Mini crossword answers for June 11
• JBL speakers are up to 38% off at Amazon
• Brest vs. PSG 2025 livestream: Watch Champions League for free
• Artificial
• Wordle today: The answer and hints for June 12
• Japan’s Uniqlo sees potential for growth in China despite falling profit and revenue · TechNode
• Best Ninja deal: Save $50 on the FrostVault 45QT cooler
• 5 Copilot AI features that are on by default in Microsoft products

• 'Alien: Earth' series offers behind
• Irreversible space rock damage won't stop the Webb telescope from exceeding expectations
• Surprise James Webb Space Telescope image revealed by President Biden
• NASA identifies strange object its rover found on Mars
• Waymo stopped Los Angeles man from stealing a driverless car
• NYT's The Mini crossword answers for June 11
• OnePlus Pad 2 debuts with upgraded vibrating tip stylus · TechNode
• NASA just announced an ambitious date to launch its Artemis 1 mission to the moon
• Nickelodeon announced 'Tiny Chef' was cancelled. The internet can't handle it.
• Xiaomi’s first flip phone, the MIX Flip, launches with instant photo printer kit · TechNode