Multiple FBI field offices and U.S. investigators issued warnings in the days before Feb 14 that romance and pig‑butchering scams—now frequently paired with bogus crypto investments and AI‑generated media—have produced record losses. Officials urged victims to report quickly to IC3 and banks, highlighting the use of deepfakes and personalized social‑engineering to secure authorized push payments and crypto transfers.

In the run‑up to Valentine’s Day, regional FBI field offices and federal investigators amplified warnings about romance and pig‑butchering scams that leverage AI for impersonation and rapid scale. Reports published Feb 9–12 stress that scammers increasingly combine deepfake images, synthetic voice and video, and automated social‑engineering to build trust, groom targets, and ultimately pressure victims into making authorized push payments or converting funds to cryptocurrency for supposed investments. Field offices noted millions in local losses during 2025 and described syndicates that coordinate romance fronts with fake trading platforms and payment laundering chains. The advisories focused on practical steps: immediate reporting to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), notifying banks and crypto platforms, preserving messaging and transaction records, and avoiding rushed transfers. Authorities emphasized that victims often delay due to shame and urged expedited law‑enforcement engagement to maximize recovery prospects. The coordinated messaging aligns with FTC and other agency outreach and underscores the operational convergence of romance fraud and crypto‑facilitated investment schemes during seasonal spikes.