Valentine’s Day is a peak season for scammers and this year, fraudsters have taken romance scams and phishing to new levels, using AI, fake dating sites and Valentine‑themed phishing campaigns to trick unsuspecting victims.
Below are the top scams that we’ve seen across February 2026, based on verified threat intelligence from what we’ve been witnessing first-hand and how to best protect your business against these scams. Remember, your first line of defence is your employees, so cyber awareness is crucial to protecting against the latest attacks.
1. Romance‑style phishing emails
Phishing emails often impersonate trusted brands or familiar names, tricking users into clicking malicious Valentine‑themed links, fake flower delivery notices or gift confirmations.
2. Fake online stores & too‑good‑to‑be‑true deals
Scammers frequently build fake ecommerce pages during seasonal gift‑buying periods. Datto notes that phishing often begins with social‑engineering lures that push users to “special offers” designed to steal payment information.
3. Identity‑based attacks posing as secret admirers
Attackers increasingly “log in, not break in” – meaning fake admirer messages or login links can be used to harvest credentials and compromise Microsoft 365 accounts.
4. Gift‑themed malware attachments
Seasonal phishing themes are used to convince recipients to open “order receipts,” “gift notifications,” or “delivery failures,” triggering malware downloads.
5. Social‑Engineering scams targeting emotion
Gamma have been regularly warns organisations that emotional triggers [urgency, affection, fear, excitement] are core social‑engineering levers used in phishing campaigns, especially during holidays and seasonal peaks.
Top 5 ways to protect yourself against phishing
1. Slow down, don’t respond to urgency
Urgency is a primary phishing tactic, especially in fake security or account alerts. If a Valentine message pushes you to act “right now,” pause.
2. Verify links before clicking
Check sender domains, avoiding unfamiliar links, and inspecting URLs for look‑alike domains, a common Valentine scam method.
3. Never share credentials or payment info
Legitimate companies will never ask for login details or sensitive information via email.
4. Use multi‑factor authentication everywhere
MFA is one of the strongest defences against credential‑theft attacks, even if you do fall for a phishing link.
5. Keep security tools up to date
Adopting layered protection across email, endpoints, and identity helps reduce the risk that a Valentine‑themed phishing attempt can succeed.
