USA TODAY – Organized online romance scams now extract massive sums: ~11,200 victims lost ~$398M in Q3 2025 alone (median loss ~$2,218), and total reported losses reached ~$1.16B in the first nine months of 2025, with some individuals losing six-figure savings. Criminal groups cultivate relationships for months via social media and messaging apps, then request money through gift cards, wires, or crypto, increasingly reinforced by AI-generated photos, voices, and video; once funds are sent, recovery is rare, so the only reliable safeguard is to cut off contact the moment a new online partner asks for money or financial information.