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."

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Two days until celebrating the day of love with a significant other, or if you are searching for that person, there are a few things to keep in mind before Valentine’s Day. Romance scams are common around this time of year. Scammers use a fake online identity to gain the affection and trust of the victim.

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.