2Broke and 3heartbroken.

¡°So I went to my 4bank account and it said I was $5,780 in a 5debt.¡±

New numbers from the Federal Trade Commission show 6romance scams cost nearly 70,000 consumers 1.3 billion dollars in 2022. A growing concern -- romance turning into investment scams.

¡°Each romance becomes the hook and then that person that they now feel attached to suggest to them that they might try investing in 7cryptocurrency and it¡¯s all a scam. They send money and never get it back.¡±

They warn anyone can be a target.

¡°...don¡¯t even need to be looking for love.¡±

So what are the 8red flags?

¡°A big one would be that they cannot 9meet you in person. They will have all sorts of 10excuses not to meet in person. And generally those excuses are built right in from the beginning, they¡¯re baked into their 11identity.¡±

The FBI sharing these tips for protecting yourself -- be careful about what you post and make public online. Scammers can use these details to better understand and target you. Research the person¡¯s photo and profile to 12verify their identity. And never send money to anyone you have not met in person.