If you're looking for love online, AARP's advice for people over 50 is make sure you guard your wallet and your heart.
Their victims could be any age, but women over 50 make up the largest demographic.
Nancy Crawford, director of marketing and communications for the Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South, says the perception of loneliness, grieving the loss of a partner and having a nest egg all tend to make seniors scam targets.
Crawford says the common denominator for victims is that they believe in true love - and they're led to believe they've found it.
She cautions never to send money to someone you haven't met in person and report these types of requests to the local police or consumer protection agency, and to the dating site.
In an in-depth investigation of romance scams last February, the BBB found that scammers most often contact their victims on dating websites, apps and social media with fake profiles.
Crawford says scammers might spend months cultivating a relationship before asking for travel money or emergency funds.
This month, the BBB released a follow-up report, "Fall in Love - Go to Jail". It exposes how some romance victims are even finding themselves in legal trouble.
"The victim themselves can get caught up in moving money, and helping the scammer to scam other people once they've exhausted their own supply of cash," Crawford points out.
The BBB estimates there may be more than 1 million victims in the U.S. alone - maybe even someone you know, as people who've been scammed this way rarely speak out.
To report romance scams, call the AARP helpline at 877-908-3360 or visit bbb.org/scamtracker.
