Love in the time of AI — Unveiling the dark sde of digital romance

Tahawul Tech

13-02-2025

Stay vigilant as romance scams peak during Valentine's — Secure your online love and shopping this February
People are often blinded by love, but let it not blind you to the extent that you overlook red flags while making online purchases or shopping digitally on Valentine's Day. The surge in e-commerce activity attracts cybercriminals with scams such as phishing, counterfeit websites, and offers that seem too good to be true. It's crucial to verify the authenticity of websites, utilize secure payment methods, and restrict the personal information you share. Always check for reviews and ensure the website uses HTTPS for secure transactions. Being cautious of unsolicited emails and messages is essential to protect your identity and finances during this high-spend period.
Scams are stealing hearts and bank accounts
Be cautious not to 'swipe right' into a scam as Valentine's Day approaches. Researchers at Tenable Inc., the exposure management company, warn that romance scams continue to be the biggest consumer threat today.
'Many of these scammers operate from overseas and don't speak fluent English,' said Satnam Narang, senior staff research engineer at Tenable. 'AI helps them craft sophisticated, emotionally compelling messages that make their scams more believable and harder to detect.'
Romance scams affect people of all ages and backgrounds, but elderly individuals, former military personnel, and those seeking financial arrangements are among the most vulnerable. Scammers deploy various tactics, from impersonating service members using stolen photos to orchestrating fake 'sugar mummy and daddy' schemes, luring victims into fraudulent financial transactions. Others entice victims into adult video chats that require paid registrations, generating illicit profits in the process.
The most dangerous form of romance scam today is 'romance baiting,' previously known as pig butchering. In these long-term cons, scammers establish fake relationships to build trust before convincing their victims to invest in bogus cryptocurrency or stock platforms. This method has now overtaken other romance scams in terms of prevalence and financial impact.
'People have lost their life savings to romance scams, and it's heartbreaking,' said Narang. 'Victims are often blamed for falling for these schemes, but these scams are highly manipulative and exploit vulnerabilities that anyone could have.'
Recovering stolen funds is notoriously difficult, particularly when cryptocurrency is involved. To make matters worse, scammers often double down by targeting victims again, posing as recovery agents who promise to retrieve lost funds—for a fee.
Garth Braithwaite, GM Emerging Markets at Gigamon, said: 'Too often, we rely on big tech to handle security alone, but staying safe online is a shared responsibility. Each of us must stay alert: cybercriminals devote every moment to finding new ways to breach defenses, especially with the help of generative AI. We can't expect corporate training alone to solve this. People outside office walls rarely see such guidance, leaving many of them exposed. In a world where AI fuels sophisticated romance scams, how are tech companies using it to bolster dating platforms and shield users from new threats? Ultimately, personal awareness is as vital as any company measure.'
Top Technologies Hackers Would 'Love' to Target in 2025
Positive Technologies recently revealed the results of an analytical study into the key technology trends of 2024 and their projected impact on security. With Valentine's Day approaching, their experts identified five key areas that are driving technological advances or 'love interests' cybercriminals can't wait to woo.
Artificial intelligence (AI)
Positive Technologies predicts that the use of AI in cyberattacks will increase in 2025: AI will be used more frequently in vulnerability scanning tools, data analysis, text recognition, and social engineering tactics.
Blockchain and digital assets
In 2025, attacks on cryptocurrency holders are expected to increase, with new ways to trick users. Scams to steal digital currencies will become more common, making it harder to protect funds. Fraud schemes involving digital currencies aimed at stealing funds will also become widespread.
Internet of Things (IoT)
By 2025, the number of attacks on consumer and commercial IoT systems is expected to increase significantly, affecting everything from individual homes to entire cities.
Cloud technologies
The analysts predict that in 2025, cybercriminals will increasingly target cloud solutions for data theft and extortion. In September, Microsoft researchers reported an attack that compromised hybrid cloud environments. This campaign resulted in data exfiltration, persistent access to the affected infrastructure, and ransomware deployment. It targeted multiple sectors, including government, manufacturing, and transportation.
Autonomous vehicles
The digitalization of transportation systems is advancing rapidly: the market for autonomous vehicles will grow sixfold by 2032. At the same time, cyberattacks exploiting vulnerabilities in autopilots, sensors, and IoT gateways are on the rise. As we move forward in 2025, software developers and IT companies are becoming primary targets of attacks.
'This year the effects of software supply chain attacks will likely become more apparent. In attacks on IT companies, we may see a rise in successful incidents, with attackers using compromised developer credentials for initial access. Supply chain attacks continue to be an acute challenge. According to our review of incident investigations, the proportion of attacks where a compromised contractor's network was used to gain initial access to a target organization has increased from isolated incidents (in 2021–2023) to 15% of all attacks in 2024,' said Ekaterina Snegireva, Senior Analyst at Positive Technologies.
Much of the protection of legitimate users of dating applications comes in the form of warnings suggesting they be mindful if a potential match may intend to scam them, showing a warning once at the start of a conversation thread providing resources on how to spot a potential scam forming.
Aaron Bugal, Field CTO APJ, Sophos, said: 'Given that many of these initial conversations are short with the scammer urging the victim to move off the dating platform – where protections could be applied – and onto messaging platforms uncontrollable by the dating application provider is a key telltale sign that something isn't right, and the user should exercise more caution around who they may be talking with. As such, AI could be adopted to help spot those initial 'lustful lures' on dating applications, especially around this time of year to help detect and weed out fraudulent matches – however, with many legitimate people looking for love and needing to put their best foot forward with a witty and catchy line, could be considered an unwanted advanced by the AI.'
With romance scams becoming more sophisticated due to generative AI, tech companies are leveraging AI to enhance safety on dating platforms. AI-driven profile verification, such as video selfie checks, ensures authenticity and reduces fake accounts.
Ezzeldin Hussein, Regional Senior Director, Solution Engineering, SentinelOne, said: 'Deepfake detection tools help identify AI-generated images and videos used for deception. AI-powered content moderation analyzes interactions in real-time, flagging suspicious behavior and preventing scams before they escalate. Platforms also use machine learning algorithms to detect scam-like conversation patterns, alerting users to potential risks. Additionally, companies focus on user education, warning about AI-driven scams and encouraging vigilance. Security firms provide AI-powered scam detection tools to assess communication authenticity. By integrating these AI safety measures, dating platforms aim to safeguard users from fraudsters exploiting AI for deception, making online dating safer in an era where digital impersonation is becoming increasingly advanced.'
Research highlights the rise of AI-driven scams using chatbots and deepfake technology, urging vigilance and offering guidelines to identify fraud. AI-powered tools are being developed to detect scam patterns in messages, alerting users to potential threats. Reverse image search tools help verify online identities, reducing the risk of deception. Awareness campaigns share real scam cases to help users recognize warning signs. Educational content, scam detection tools, and real-time alerts are being integrated to equip users with the knowledge and resources to protect themselves. By promoting digital skepticism and safe online practices, these initiatives aim to prevent fraudsters from exploiting emotions and financial trust in online interactions.
Burcak Soydan, Managing Executive for Middle East at NTT DATA MEA, said: 'NTT DATA is actively addressing the surge in AI-driven fraud, including romance scams, by implementing several key initiatives. NTT DATA emphasizes the importance of user education in combating AI-enhanced scams. They advocate for increased awareness about the sophisticated tactics employed by fraudsters, such as the use of AI to create convincing fake profiles and communications.'
Soydan informed that recognizing the dual role of AI in both perpetrating and preventing scams, NTT DATA promotes the use of Explainable AI. XAI enhances transparency by making AI models more interpretable and accountable, allowing users to understand how AI systems arrive at their decisions. This approach helps in identifying and mitigating biases, thereby reducing the risk of AI being exploited for fraudulent activities.