The Chicago FBI wants to protect your heart — and your bank account — this Valentine’s Day.

Millions of Americans sign up for dating websites and apps every year, Chicago FBI spokesperson Garrett Croon said in a release, but not all of them are looking for romance.

“As Valentine’s Day gets closer, the FBI wants to warn you that criminals use these sites, too,” he said. “(They’re) looking to turn the lonely and vulnerable into fast money through a variety of scams.”

According to the Federal Trade Commission, a romance scam is concocted when someone creates a fake profile on a dating site using stolen photos, quickly rushes into an online relationship with their victim and convinces them to wire money, set up bank accounts or transfer large sums to them.

“They tug at your heartstrings with made-up stories about how they need money — for emergencies, hospital bills or travel,” the FTC states in an article.

Scammers are also involving their victims in online bank fraud and international scandals, according to the site. They convince their online partner to set up a new bank account, transfer stolen money into that account and ask their partner to wire it out of the country.

Croon said most victims of online romance scams are between 40 and 60 years old.

In Illinois in 2015, he said, people lost a total of more than $4.6 million to romance scams through dating websites. The national amount lost that year was $203 million.

The FTC suggests the following for recognizing a scam. If your partner does any of these things, it’s likely a fraudulent relationship:

• If they want to chat off the site quickly via phone, text or email
• If they ask you to wire money through Western Union or Money Gram
• If they ask you to set up any new bank accounts

If you’re the victim of a romance scam, Croon said, report the incident at ic3.gov.

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