Looking for love this Valentine's Day? Don't fall for Instagram romance scams
AP description clipped before detailedmethod; warningheadline only.
Prevention & supportData from The GDELT Project · Reviewed and interpreted by RSRC
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Matching coverage over time
The chart uses every search filter above and all matching records, across every results page. The percentage denominator is all included URLs in the same dates, before theme, language, country or text filters.
Distinct included URLs matching these filters in each observation month. Select a point to explore its records. On small screens, scroll the chart horizontally.
A URL counts once per month and can appear in several months or themes. Themes describe the current record assessment; months show URL observations, not when events or each claim first appeared. Warnings, allegations and reported experiences are all included when coded. Partial months, collection gaps and changes in sources affect both measures. A higher share does not establish a higher risk to victims.
Read the graph as a table
| Observation month | Matching URLs | All included URLs | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2025 | 591 | 591 | 100.0% |
| Feb 2025 | 1,629 | 1,629 | 100.0% |
| Mar 2025 | 561 | 561 | 100.0% |
| Apr 2025 | 390 | 390 | 100.0% |
| May 2025 | 398 | 398 | 100.0% |
| Jun 2025 | 209 | 209 | 100.0% |
| Jul 2025 | 522 | 522 | 100.0% |
| Aug 2025 | 447 | 447 | 100.0% |
| Sep 2025 | 613 | 613 | 100.0% |
| Oct 2025 | 483 | 483 | 100.0% |
| Nov 2025 | 392 | 392 | 100.0% |
| Dec 2025 | 333 | 333 | 100.0% |
| Jan 2026 | 530 | 530 | 100.0% |
| Feb 2026 | 1,106 | 1,106 | 100.0% |
| Mar 2026 | 360 | 360 | 100.0% |
| Apr 2026 | 491 | 491 | 100.0% |
| May 2026 | 785 | 785 | 100.0% |
| Jun 2026 | 842 | 842 | 100.0% |
| Jul 2026 | 1,143 | 1,143 | 100.0% |
| Aug 2026 | 640 | 640 | 100.0% |
| Sep 2026 | 638 | 638 | 100.0% |
| Oct 2026 | 30 | 30 | 100.0% |
12,949 matching media records
Each record represents a source web page, not a verified incident. Different URLs can describe the same event. About these records.
Looking for love this Valentine’s Day? Don’t fall for Instagram romance scams | 104.9 The Fox – Jonesboro, AR
Meta unsolicited-message warning across apps and texts. Every station title read; publisher geography and repetition do not establish cases or audience.
Prevention & supportUS Postal Service warns against the dangers of
USPSfalse-love-interestwarning; requestsforpersonalinfo nothelpseeking disclosure/actualIDoffense.
Prevention & supportUS Postal Service raises awareness on romance scams targeting individuals seeking companionship
USPS/USPIS consumerwarning, potentialtargetsnotobservedharm.
Prevention & supportFBI Cleveland warns of rising romance scams ahead of Valentine's Day
FBIClevelandRomance/confidence warning, noownactualloss.
Prevention & supportProzess gegen Betrüger in Mannheim: 45-jähriger "Heiratsschwindler" muss vier Jahre ins Gefängnis - Mannheim und Metropolregion Rhein-Neckar - Nachrichten und Aktuelles - Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung
Mannheim45marriageswindlerfour-yearimposedsentence titleonly. Prisonactuallyserved/individualfinancialamount notestablished, publisherboilerplateignored.
Reported caseOnline romance scams on the rise
Ohio warning about digital romance scams; digital alone is not a specific technology.
Prevention & supportProtecting Yourself From Love Scams in Washington
Fake profiles/phishing/sites as general methods; false persona alone is not identity-document offending.
Prevention & supportGlasgow mum suffers heart attack after being scammed £17k
Glasgowmother17000datingwebsite/heartattacksourceclaim pluswarning. Fulloriginalunavailable, cachedsuspectedqualifierseparatelypending; no independentcausality.
Reported caseSwipe Left on These 5 Common Online Dating Scams
Dating-appfake-promisesdecoder/generalwarning, broke/brokenhearteddefinitionnotindividualcompletedharm.
Prevention & supportOnline romance scams: Who Nigeria and Ghana's fraudsters are, how they operate, and why they do it
Research platform-intimacy discussion; no individual loss/network/country role from country labels alone. Same-agent contextual correction: General explanatory/research method claim is commentary, not an actual individual occurrence or an expressly delivered warning.
CommentarySPD warns of ‘romance scams’ as Valentine’s Day approaches
Seattle Police Valentine reminder, no investigation/arrest.
Prevention & supportProtecting Yourself From Love Scams in Washington
Fake profiles/phishing/sites as general methods; false persona alone is not identity-document offending.
Prevention & supportErst Brad Pitt, jetzt Martin Henderson: Frau verliert 375.000 $ an KI-Betrüger
False Henderson celebrity persona, reported375000 and relocation. AI format unspecified; citizenship not victim residence, actor not offender.
Reported caseCommodity Futures Trading Commission issues a new romance scam warning ahead of Valentine’s Day. - WOAY-TV
CFTC Dating or Defrauding relationship-investment social awareness campaign, fake profiles; WestVirginia dateline not victim location.
Prevention & supportUSPS and U.S. Postal Inspection Service warn public about romance scams
USPS/USPIS warning, twodifferenttitlesread.
Prevention & supportErst Brad Pitt, jetzt Martin Henderson: Frau verliert 375.000 $ an KI-Betrüger
False Henderson celebrity persona, reported375000 and relocation. AI format unspecified; citizenship not victim residence, actor not offender.
Reported caseMost catfished photos of 2025 revealed as romance scams soar
FTC2023 1.14b vs2022 547m aggregates. Photo-rankingtitle notactualnew2025victim or samepopulationtrendverified.
Research & trendsVermeintlicher "Cello-Star" bringt Seniorin um 150.000 Euro
86woman150000falsecellostar,repeatedlargeramountsdisappear. Noactualrecoveryorclinicalharm; culturalpersona notoperatorcountry.
Reported caseOnline romance scams on the rise
Ohio warning about digital romance scams; digital alone is not a specific technology.
Prevention & supportU.S. Postal Service warns about romance scams
USPS Valentine warning, descriptionclipped.
Prevention & supportProtecting Yourself From Love Scams in Washington
Fake profiles/phishing/sites as general methods; false persona alone is not identity-document offending.
Prevention & supportDepartment of State issues consumer alert
New York consumer-protection alert, no individual outcome.
Prevention & supportBeware of romance scams ahead of Valentine’s Day
FBIfakeidentityaffection/trustwarning, generalmanipulation/stealnotactualcase.
Prevention & supportUSPS warns of rising ‘romance scams’ targeting victims ahead of Valentine’s Day
USPS/USPIS seasonalconsumerwarning.
Prevention & support