BBB shares red flags for romance scams ahead of Valentine's Day
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — With Valentine's Day quickly approaching, plenty of people are wearing their hearts on their sleeves while seeking genuine relationships, but there are also fraudsters seeking to exploit them, which is why the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky issued a warning about romance scams.
According to the BBB, romance scams usually start on dating platforms with scammers creating fake profiles, often claiming to be in the military or working overseas to justify why they can't meet in person. Over time, they build trust and emotional connections through messages, photos, and phone calls.
From Galentine's to date nights: 15 Valentine's Day events in Nashville
Once the victims are emotionally invested, officials said the scammers will make up a crisis — like a health emergency, family issue, or travel plans to visit — and ask for money. The victims may end up sending funds repeatedly or suddenly losing contact when the scammers vanish.
The BBB shared the following warning signs for romance scams:
Too good to be true: Scammers often present themselves as highly attractive and financially successful individuals, but if someone seems 'perfect,' proceed with caution.
Quick move to off-site communication: Be wary if someone asks early on to communicate outside the dating platform, like through email or text.
Rapid relationship progression: Fraudsters frequently profess their love or deep affection quickly.
Isolation: Scammers often encourage victims to avoid sharing their budding relationship with family or friends.
Excuses to avoid meeting in person: Common claims used by fraudsters to avoid face-to-face interactions include being stationed abroad, military service, or constant travel.
Hard luck stories: Before asking for money, scammers may share sob stories about financial struggles, family emergencies, or personal tragedies.
These are the most romantic restaurants in Tennessee, other states: OpenTable
'Romance scams can shatter both hearts and finances,' said Robyn Householder, president and CEO of the BBB of Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky. 'We encourage everyone to be cautious and informed, especially during this season when emotions run high. Taking a step back and verifying information can make all the difference.'
Here are some tips from the BBB for protecting yourself from potential fraudsters:
Don't share personal information or money with someone you haven't met in person.
Scammers may struggle to maintain a consistent story, so verify their background by asking specific questions.
Conduct reverse-image searches on their profile photos through sites like tineye.com or images.google.com. You should also check their name, email, and phone number for any inconsistencies.
Take your time; avoid making quick decisions; and consult with trusted friends, family, or financial advisors.
⏩
If you met someone online recently and they're already requesting money, the BBB described that as a major red flag. In order to safeguard your heart and your finances, you need to stay cautious and informed.
The BBB urges you to report any suspected fraud by filing a complaint, visiting BBB.org/Scamtracker, and contacting the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by going to reportfraud.ftc.gov or calling 877-FTC-Help.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
5 hours ago
- New York Post
Long Island family living in camper after contractor guts home — and then vanishes
A couple on Long Island and their three young children have spent the past month living in a camper behind their home. To see their beautiful house from the outside, the scenario doesn't make sense. But take one step inside, and the situation becomes very clear. The Salientino family lives in Shoreham and hired a contractor—and former friend—to remodel their home this summer. They handed over $96,200 for various appliances and materials, and the contractor immediately got to work gutting the house. But that's seemingly where the work has ended. When local news outlet ABC7 visited the family on their property, they found the inside of the home in shambles—nothing but exposed wiring, plywood floors, and spray-painted directions on where the kitchen appliances should be installed. How to check if your contractor is licensed Checking that your contractor is licensed can be accomplished by looking through online databases, like the Better Business Bureau, your local chamber of commerce, and trade associations. 'Licensed contractors pay into a state fund that reimburses homeowners if the contractor does not complete the job in a satisfactory manner,' Morris Katz, owner of Katz Contracting, tells A couple on Long Island and their three young children have spent the past month living in a camper behind their home. amnaj – It wasn't until well after the damage was done that the family learned their contractor was actually on Suffolk County's Consumer Affairs 'Wall of Shame,' for operating without a valid contractor's license. While licensing rules and regulations vary from state to state, even county to county in some places, it is still ill-advised to hire a contractor without a license regardless of the laws. You also want to make sure that your contractor has insurance. Having an insured contractor means their work is backed by a provider, so if any damage is caused to your home in the process of a renovation, their work is covered. Most states have contractor insurance databases you can access online. What to look for when choosing a contractor After you've tracked down a licensed contractor, your next step would be to check if they're the right team for the job you need. There are, of course, general contractors, but there are also those who specialize in specific fields, such as HVAC, electrical, and plumbing. A simple Google search should clear up any confusion about their expertise. It will also likely turn up any client reviews that have been posted—good and bad. Liz Brumer-Smith, a real estate investor, had a 'nightmare' experience with a contractor who took her money and ran without ever doing a single day's work. Her top advice is to do your due diligence right away. 'A simple search of his company on Google would have revealed several terrible reviews, including other instances where he had stolen money from clients,' she shared. 'After I realized the contractor wasn't coming back, I decided to file a small-claims suit against the firm in the county court. My attorney discovered there were other active suits for this same issue against his company in public records.' When local news outlet ABC7 visited the family on their property, they found the inside of the home in shambles—nothing but exposed wiring, plywood floors, and spray-painted directions on where the kitchen appliances should be installed. Chandra – How much does a contractor cost in 2025? A good rule of thumb is if a contractor gives you an estimate that seems too good to be true—it probably is. Like everything else, the cost of contractor services has risen in recent years, with the average cost of a general contractor landing at $4,000, according to But you could be on the line for as much as $58,000, depending on the level of work you need done. For example, additional charges for building permits, hiring subcontractors, or completing land surveys could drive that number up. A great way to check on prices is to use the renovation calculator. This tool will help you calculate costs and return on investment on various home renovations based on your ZIP code. What to look for when choosing a contractor After you've tracked down a licensed contractor, your next step would be to check if they're the right team for the job you need. There are, of course, general contractors, but there are also those who specialize in specific fields, such as HVAC, electrical, and plumbing. A simple Google search should clear up any confusion about their expertise. It will also likely turn up any client reviews that have been posted—good and bad. Liz Brumer-Smith, a real estate investor, had a 'nightmare' experience with a contractor who took her money and ran without ever doing a single day's work. Her top advice is to do your due diligence right away. 'A simple search of his company on Google would have revealed several terrible reviews, including other instances where he had stolen money from clients,' she shared. 'After I realized the contractor wasn't coming back, I decided to file a small-claims suit against the firm in the county court. My attorney discovered there were other active suits for this same issue against his company in public records.' How much does a contractor cost in 2025? A good rule of thumb is if a contractor gives you an estimate that seems too good to be true—it probably is. Like everything else, the cost of contractor services has risen in recent years, with the average cost of a general contractor landing at $4,000, according to But you could be on the line for as much as $58,000, depending on the level of work you need done. For example, additional charges for building permits, hiring subcontractors, or completing land surveys could drive that number up. A great way to check on prices is to use the renovation calculator. This tool will help you calculate costs and return on investment on various home renovations based on your ZIP code.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
The Biggest Boondoggles in Trump's Big Beautiful Bill
The House reconciliation bill — officially known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — is extraordinary in how much it robs from the poor to boost the rich. Its tax cuts for the wealthy are financed by cuts to health care coverage (both in Medicaid and Obamacare) that will help Republicans swell the ranks of the uninsured by 16 million, according to the Congressional Budget Office. But the Big Beautiful Bill is not just an ugly tax bill where society's less fortunate are made to sacrifice for the benefit of the wealthiest. It's also a spending bill that steers hundreds of billions of dollars into new pet projects. This is financed with debt. All in, the BBB will spike deficits by $2.4 trillion over 10 years, according to CBO, likely increasing the national debt by $3 billion when interest payments are included. The bill's spending has angered budget hawks in the Senate like Rand Paul (R.-Ky.). It has been part of the public split between Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who calls the bill a 'disgusting abomination' that will squander any supposed savings imposed by DOGE, the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. Conservative budget analysts are sounding the alarm: 'This inability to set priorities is going to bring a debt crisis,' Jessica Riedl, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute tells Rolling Stone. In fact, the bill would create so much new debt that it risks triggering a mechanism called 'sequestration,' which would impose deep, mandatory cuts to Medicare. These cuts to the health care of America's seniors would start next year, and rise to half-a-trillion dollars over ten years. The BBB's spending provisions have received far less scrutiny than the tax cuts and safety-net slashes. But the bill lards new funds on a range of already-fat-cats — from the military-industrial complex and Big Tech to private prisons and construction concerns. Below we survey the biggest boondoggles of the Big Beautiful Bill: The BBB proposes spending nearly $50 billion for construction of Trump's border wall with Mexico. Sen. Paul, in an appearance on Face the Nation last week, accused the administration of waste. He cited an existing Customs and Border Patrol estimate that wall construction should cost only about $6.5 billion over 1,000 miles: 'They have inflated the cost of the wall eightfold,' said Paul. (After his TV hit, CPB appears to have scrubbed the construction cost estimate Paul quoted from its website.) Paul even questioned the need for more wall, at all, given his view that Trump has 'essentially stopped the border flow without new money and without new legislation.' Offering just a small taste of the anticipated building bonanza, the Trump administration awarded a $70 million, 7-mile wall-construction contract to California-based Granite Construction in March. The bill includes $45 billion for 'Adult Alien Detention Capacity' and 'Family Residential Centers.' This funding would enable the administration to ramp up its mass deportation program for undocumented immigrants. As the nation has seen from recent high-profile Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids at restaurants, this involves ripping productive members out of society and making them wards of the state, at great public cost, until they can be deported. The money would be a boon to private prison contractors and construction firms. For a taste of where this is headed, consider that the administration has already inked a 15-year, $1 billion deal with GEO Group to house ICE detainees at Delaney Hall, a 1,000 bed facility in Newark, New Jersey. The mayor of the city was arrested by ICE amid a recent protest at the facility. The private prison company is well connected to the Trump administration. As Rolling Stone has reported, Attorney General Pam Bondi is a former lobbyist for GEO Group, which also made a $500,000 donation to the Trump inaugural committee. A GEO subsidiary donated $1.3 million to a Super PAC that backed Trump's 2024 election. The BBB puts up nearly $25 billion for the Golden Dome. The satellite-based missile defense project builds off the branding of Israel's 'Iron Dome,' a ground-based defensive system that can intercept rockets and missiles launched from local militants or state actors like Iran. 'To the extent we match Iron Dome technology, we will be well protected from a missile attack from Canada or Mexico,' says Riedl of the Manhattan Institute, sarcastically. 'But not necessarily from Russia, North Korea or China.' In reality the Golden Dome appears to be Trump's revival of the Ronald Reagan era Strategic Defense Initiative, or SDI — a hugely expensive, largely ineffective space-based missile-defense system derided in the 1980s as 'Star Wars.' 'Ultimately this is $25 billion more for SDI' says Rieidl. 'This is a noble idea — but a lot of spending up until now hasn't brought a lot of success.' Trump envisions the BBB as a downpayment on a total investment of $175 million. The Golden Dome promises to be a golden goose for defense contractors. SpaceX, the rocket company founded by Trump's billionaire benefactor Elon Musk, who's currently feuding with Trump, is reportedly vying for a contract. So are the Peter Thiel-linked tech firm Palantir and longtime military-industrial heavyweights like Raytheon and Lockheed Martin. Including the Golden Dome, the Big Beautiful Bill increases America's Pentagon spending by a colossal $150 billion. 'This is a bill from the military-industrial complex advocates who are padding the military budget,' according to Paul, who has long criticized the Defense Department for failing to pass every audit to which it's been subjected. Budgets are moral documents. And metaphorically people often speak of the tradeoff between 'guns and butter' — or programs that defend the public and those that keep the public out of misery. The guns side of the Big Beautiful Bill is financed entirely by cuts to butter. The bill strips $128 billion in funding to the states for the SNAP food assistance program that keeps American families from going hungry. It also aims to avoid another $92 billion in spending by knocking people out of the program with red tape and work requirements, including for parents of argues that the Pentagon should be forced to achieve cost efficiencies before it receives any new federal dollars. 'One of DOGE's great failures was essentially ignoring the enormous waste and cost overruns inside the Pentagon. There is a reason the Defense Department cannot pass an audit. There is so much waste. It has significant cost overruns — particularly in government contracts and procurement — that absolutely must be addressed before we further increase defense spending,' says the Manhattan institute fellow. The House bill steers new money to more than a dozen weapons systems, including many dogged by cost overruns, construction delays, performance issues, and questions of combat capability. On the airplane side, this list includes: $4.5 billion for the B-21 Raider, the Air Force's newest long-range stealth bomber, which cost nearly $700 million per aircraft to produce. The two-person Northrup Gruman-built plane may be poorly suited to modern warfighting, where swarms of unmanned drones are becoming the dominant air threat. $3.2 billion for the Boeing-built F-15EX. The planes cost $90 million a pop, making them more expensive than the notoriously costly F-35A. Unlike that fighter, the F-15EX is not a stealth aircraft. And production has been snarled by manufacturing problems. A recent federal assessment put it bluntly: 'Boeing has experienced increased quality deficiencies.' Ships include: $4.6 billion for Virginia Class submarines. The nuclear submarine program has a reported cost overrun of $17 billion and has delivered boats massively behind schedule. The contractors are General Dynamics Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Industries. The Pentagon already has 23 of these submarines. $2.1 billion for San Antonio Class 'amphibious transport docks.' This ship was put on production pause in 2023 because of massive cost overruns. The boats are supposed to land Marines into onshore combat, but have been found by DOD testers to only be suitable 'in a benign environment' because the ship is 'not effective, suitable and not survivable in a combat situation.' Huntington Ingalls Industries is the contractor. The Pentagon already has 13 of these boats. More from Rolling Stone Donald Trump Is Destroying the Economy and Waging War on the Poor Trump Moves to Deploy National Guard to L.A. Over ICE Protests 'Dejected' Trump Says Relationship With Musk Is Over; Calls Him a 'Big-Time Drug Addict': Report Best of Rolling Stone The Useful Idiots New Guide to the Most Stoned Moments of the 2020 Presidential Campaign Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Yahoo
BBB warns of new twist on old scam
JOPLIN, Mo. — A charity scam is making its rounds on TikTok, and the Better Business Bureau has some red flags to look out for. The BBB received a report about an account called FlappyBirdUS, using stolen or AI-generated video of a senior couple selling trinkets like cat toys or cow slippers, to support a failing cat shelter. BBB offers tips for handling door-to-door solicitors A link leads to a website where you can buy a product, which never arrives, leaving you out money and personal information like your credit card number and address. It's a new format for an old scam designed to pull at your heartstrings. 'They're using a lot of emotional manipulation, a lot of emotional tactics: cute animals, emotional music, pleading saying, 'Please don't scroll past!' Because if you do, then you're going to start feeling guilty. And they're preying on that emotion, then, to get you to go ahead and take one more step of clicking on that link and purchasing that item,' said Pamela Hernandez, BBB Springfield Regional Director. Hernandez says to watch out for charities that aren't clear about where your money is going, and research organizations on before making a donation. If you've fallen victim to a charity scam, contact your credit card company to start a chargeback, and enable multifactor authentication on all of your accounts. You can also report your experience on the BBB's scam tracker so other consumers know what to watch out for. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
