In 2023, the financial toll of romance scams was staggering. The Federal Trade Commission reported losses totaling $1.1 billion from over 64,000 incidents in the US alone. The FBI echoed this, citing nearly $653 million in losses from almost 18,000 complaints. And these numbers are only climbing. Projections for 2024 estimate nearly 59,000 Americans have already lost around $697 million. The UK is seeing a similar trend, with romance scams becoming the fastest-growing cybercrime category, increasing by a third in 2023 to a total loss of £93 million, and showing a 20% year-on-year increase in the first quarter of 2025.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/lets-talk-sex--5052038/support.