With Valentine's Day approaching, various sources have highlighted the economic and security aspects surrounding the holiday. West Mercia Police issued a warning about the rise in romance fraud, emphasizing the importance of vigilance against scammers who exploit the occasion with advice to avoid sending money, verify profiles, opt for video calls, tell someone, and report suspicious activity. Domo reported a significant increase in the cost of traditional Valentine's Day activities, with flowers experiencing an 18.6% price hike and notable increases in candy & eating out. Retail industry reports and surveys indicate a substantial boost in consumer spending, with the average expenditure on Valentine's gifts reaching $185.81, nearly $8 more than the average of the past five years, and total spending expected to reach billions. The National Retail Federation estimates the average American will spend $186 on Valentine's Day this year. Additionally, there's a growing concern over scammers using artificial intelligence to target individuals on dating apps, pulling in big money from unsuspecting romantics.
More people on dating apps are being targeted by scammers using bots and artificial intelligence, according to experts. https://t.co/hfPrXExhLb
The National Retail Federation predicts that the average American will spend $186 on their Valentine this year. That total will stretch much further in some places than others. What are the most expensive cities for romance? https://t.co/39lBMfyGWk 👇
We’re just two days away from Valentine’s Day and scammers are already pulling in big money from unsuspecting romantics, with a new boost from artificial intelligence. https://t.co/dhCrwwD6qM
Consumers will spend $185.81 each on average, nearly $8 more than the average Valentine's Day spending over the last five years, according to a survey. https://t.co/vGerNgBrus
Retailers are set to rake in billions as shoppers spend big on Valentine's Day gifts this year, an industry report has revealed. https://t.co/zELi5ZO4KV
With Valentine’s Day coming up, we thought it might be fun to see how much more expensive a traditional date night will be this year compared to the past 4 years. Flowers are up 18.6%. Check out our data to see where candy & eating out landed: https://t.co/DFuR2PvpZw #valentines
Love is in the air, but so is the threat of romance fraud! 💔 Beware of scammers using love to deceive. 1️⃣ Avoid sending money. 2️⃣ Verify profiles. 3️⃣ Opt for video calls to confirm identities. 4️⃣ Tell someone 5️⃣ Report suspicious activity https://t.co/0IYzM3U0Vo https://t.co/72ujZlkf0R