Kaspersky Warns of Romance Scams Spiking Around Valentine's Day

Kaspersky issued a warning on February 19 about romance scams targeting Filipinos during Valentine's season, citing reports from the Philippine National Police of rising cases.

Fraudsters use social engineering and stolen photographs to build fabricated life stories over weeks or months. Scammers make initial contact through social media or dating platforms, then push victims to move conversations to private messaging apps where they eventually request money, gift cards, or cryptocurrency. Kaspersky Head of Consumer Channel (APAC) Choon Hong Chee said scammers exploit people's openness to forming new relationships during love month, using emotional manipulation to trick victims into sending money or revealing personal data.

Bogus Valentine's Day gift websites mimicking legitimate retailers present another threat vector. These fake sites advertise unrealistic discounts on flowers and chocolates, but function as phishing traps designed to harvest payment details from unsuspecting shoppers. Kaspersky tracked these fraudulent storefronts appearing across social media and search results throughout February.

The firm recommended verifying website URLs and domain names before making any purchase. Users should never send money, gift cards, or cryptocurrency to individuals they haven't met in person, and should avoid moving conversations from dating apps to private messaging platforms where scammers operate without platform oversight. Kaspersky also advised using strong, unique passwords and enabling multi-factor authentication on all accounts.

Philippines ranked third in ASEAN for on-device cyberattacks on businesses in 2024 with 1.8 million cases, behind Indonesia and Malaysia.