She knew he wasn’t real. She was in love with him anyway. Takeaways about romance scams

Jean Booth's experience with a romance scam highlights the rising prevalence of such frauds in the U.S., with over 49,000 victims reporting $1.3 billion in losses in 2023. The article links the surge to social isolation post-pandemic and notes psychological factors, such as humans' innate need for connection, which can lead individuals to seek relationships in vulnerable ways.