Better Business Bureau warns of Valentine’s Day scams

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Love may be in the air, but our local Better Business Bureau is warning people about romance scams in the community.

Officials say a lot of these scams are starting on social media such as Facebook or Instagram.

These scams consist of strangers luring people into conversations to hook you into giving them money.

These strangers might say they need the money for an emergency, but President Michele Mason of our local BBB says to be wary.

She says romance scams are a multi-million dollar industry.

“If you get pulled into this and you’re not really paying attention to what’s being requested, whether its your bank information, your social security number, or just your money in general, it can very quickly turn into something where you’re going to lose hundreds if not thousands of dollars,” Mason said.

Be wary of meeting people online, especially those who ask for money transfers via cash-app or wire transfers.

If you happen to find yourself in this situation, Mason says to reach out to someone.

Better Business Bureau also has a resource center online specifically for romance scams, visit BBB.org/romance for more information.