They won't ask for money immediately. Scammers usually practice at least one virtue: patience. "They don't typically come right out and ask for your money," says Simerly. "Instead, they will spend weeks – or even months – in the pursuit of getting to know their targets while they build trust."

Valentine’s Day is a time for love, but unfortunately, it’s also a prime opportunity for scammers looking to prey on hopeful romantics.

Rebecca D’Antonio, a romance scam victim who lost $100,000 to a scammer she met on OKCupid, a dating website she thought was trustworthy, found the reporting process to be “impersonal, granular, and triggering,” she said in an interview with ConsumerAffairs.