{
  "id": 5296145,
  "title": "How to spot romance scams online and protect yourself",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/how-to-spot-romance-scams-online-and-protect-yourself",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-03T09:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fast Company",
    "slug": "fast-company",
    "url": "https://www.fastcompany.com/91600930/daejon-love-online-romance-scams-research-tactics-protection"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Romance scams on the internet can be difficult to detect and can result in significant financial losses. A 35-year-old man named Daejon Love allegedly scammed more than two dozen women out of around $1.3 million by pretending to be a San Francisco 49ers player or wealthy real estate investor. He built emotional connections with his victims to gain their trust and then persuaded them to send money. This type of scam is part of a larger trend of online dating scams, which have become more common since more people began using dating apps during the pandemic. A recent study found that nearly 70,000 Americans fell victim to online romantic scams in 2022, with reported losses exceeding $1.3 billion. These scams involve creating fake profiles and using emotional manipulation and crisis scenarios to convince victims to send money. In some cases, scammers may also use blackmail to extract more funds. To protect yourself from falling victim to these scams, it's important to be aware of the tactics used by scammers and to take steps to verify the identity of people you meet online. This can include being cautious about sharing personal information, avoiding urgent requests for money, and using online resources to check the validity of profiles and individuals.",
  "summary": "Imagine matching with someone on a dating app who seems to have it all: charm, wealth, a glamorous lifestyle, and serious intentions about building a future with you. That was the promise prosecutors say 35-year-old Daejon Love offered to women he met online. Federal authorities recently charged Love and an alleged accomplice with defrauding more than two dozen women of approximately $1.3 million…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}