Valentine's Day is a time when not only do many often feel particularly vulnerable, but others feel generous and giving. It is the perfect time for cybercriminals and fraudsters to operate.
The Cyber Helpline, a U.K. charity led by volunteers and staff from the cybersecurity industry, has expanded to the USA to support those experiencing cybercrime and online harm. The charity expects a huge increase in online relationship scams this Valentine's Day. It has
reported a 111% increase in romance fraud and a 227% increase in sextortion over the last year, and it believes cybercriminals will target vulnerable and lonely people over the Valentine's period in the same way.
Over the coming months, many will celebrate by spending time with loved ones. Equally, for many, Valentine's Day is a pang of loneliness for those spending it alone and a stressful time for many struggling with the cost of living and the busyness that Valentine's Day brings.
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Cybercriminals recognize the emotional vulnerabilities that both positive and negative feelings bring and craft schemes that tug at the heartstrings to exploit these emotions. Increasingly, they are focused on tricking individuals into online relationships and deceiving them into sending money and sensitive information—often with devastating effects.
Romance fraud and scams, or dating fraud, are increasing in frequency and sophistication year-round. You may have heard of the term "catfishing," where someone uses fake profiles to pretend to be someone they're not online. Romance scams are where catfishing is most commonly used; cybercriminals will hide behind fake profiles—or sometimes their real
profiles—to try to convince someone to send them money.
Often, encouraging someone to send money relies on building trust with the target; this might involve researching them or asking them questions to understand their interests and what is emotionally important to them and making them believe they are in a legitimate relationship by becoming intimate and romantic.
Once a relationship has been established, criminals often use emotive stories to encourage them to send money. Stories can range from needing plane tickets to visit them in person to being unable to afford to pay hospital bills. The reason for needing money can depend on the criminals themselves and their understanding of what the target is passionate about; for example, if they are an animal lover, the criminal might "coincidentally" run an animal shelter that needs donations.
Romance scams can last from a day to months and even years. Many may not even realize they are being victimized and appreciate having someone in their life that they can talk to. Family and friends often even notice before them that something doesn't seem right.
Similar to romance scams, webcam blackmail, also known as sextortion, preys on emotional vulnerabilities and the fast-paced world during holiday seasons. In this crime, criminals move quickly to encourage someone to join a video call, which quickly becomes intimate, or send intimate images and videos to them. The videos or images are saved, and then criminals threaten to share them with friends, family, and colleagues unless payment is sent to them.
Anyone can be affected by these crimes; of those reporting these crimes to The Cyber Helpline, nearly 70% are between the ages of 18 and 39. Nearly 10% are between 13 and 17. In terms of gender, those experiencing these types of crime are almost equally likely to be male or female.
No matter the demographic, the impact is severe. While the crimes are usually fueled by financial gain for the perpetrator, the loss of money does not always have the most significant impact on those experiencing these crimes. Almost 90% of people report to The Cyber Helpline that their mental health is impacted as a result of the crime, and 77% feel that their
physical safety is at risk too—whether this is because of threats by the perpetrator, fear that they will harm themselves, or worry that others will hurt them if they find out about the incident.
Charlotte Hooper, Head of Operations at The Cyber Helpline, says:
"Those impacted by cybercrime should never have to feel that they are to blame. Cybercriminals are expert manipulators that prey on trust and emotions, and anyone could fall victim at any time, but especially when emotions are heightened at times like Valentine's Day. As a society, we need to remove the stigma around being victimized by cybercrime and,
instead, empower those affected to navigate the aftermath and take the important step of seeking support."
The season is a fast-paced time filled with emotion. Cybercriminals anticipate the vulnerabilities people face during this time and see it as an opportunity to target people when they are likely to be so busy it's harder to act before they think and where both the good and bad emotions that people face during holidays mean that vulnerabilities are high.
With these types of crimes increasing and the likelihood of experiencing them during this time, it is essential to remember that those experiencing cybercrime should never feel at fault. Cybercriminals are excellent researchers, marketers, and persuaders; they trick people into believing them and feeling safe in their online presence.
If you, or someone you know, has been impacted by cybercrime, you should report it to law enforcement via the FBI's IC3 website. You can also seek further help from The Cyber Helpline, which offers free, expert help from cybersecurity professionals in recovering from these crimes. Learn more in their catfishing and romance fraud guide here.
