"Romance scam have become an industrial scale operation." 

Dr. Vahid Behzadam says these types of scams are becoming increasingly more 5sophisticated as technology advances, especially with the use of AI. 

"The fake 6persona can have a 7real time video call with the victim." 

The 8FTC says nearly 70,000 people reported a romance scam in 2022. These scams don't just break your heart, they can also break your bank account. The 9financial losses from those scams in 2022 hitting a 10staggering $1.3 billion. 

"Losing that sense of yourself is something that I find personally, just emotionally 11devastating." 

Amy Nofziger with 12AARP says older Americans are easy targets for these 13scammers. 

"We know that the criminals go where the money is, and older adults do hold the majority of wealth in the United States." 

Scammers often use common phrases like "Someone close to me is sick.", "I can teach you how to 14invest.", "I need help with an important delivery." to scam you out of money. The FBI recommends researching the person's photo and profile. 15Beware if the person wants to quickly communicate directly instead of online or if they have 16excuses to not meet 17in person. And never send money to anyone you haven't met in person.