PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — A warning now for those who may wear their hearts on their sleeves this Valentine’s Day: so-called “romance scams” are surging across the globe and here in America.

In 2022, American lost $547 million to romance scams. That number jumped to more than $1 billion in 2023. Experts say you need to know the warning signs.

We're all looking for love.

"It's looking for that element in your life, and I think that's a beautiful thing," said Alfonso Guzman, regional director for Chase Bank. "I think you still have to stay vigilant."

More Americans are falling for so-called "romance scams." They often begin on dating sites or social media, with victims getting a message from someone they don't know.

"These folks kind of strike out of the blue, may have some kind of compliment, really try to build some semblance of a relationship," Guzman said. "They feign interest, they pretend to be someone they're not, and that's very typical."

They build up a relationship, sharing details about themselves over time. And once the scammer feels they have their victim's trust, "they will ask for money," Guzman said. "There's an urgent ask. It takes time, but then it switches and there's always some kind of financial ask."

And that's when victims willingly send money to a thief.

A woman named Liz fell for the scam not too long ago. A recent widow, she joined an online dating site and met someone claiming to be a "Gregory Heller." They sent Liz heartfelt messages. Then he asked for money to pay back a debt to the Chinese government, he said. Liz bought gift cards, deposited money and wired cash to the scammer — in all, more than $100,000.

"And I never thought of myself as that vulnerable," she said. "I really thought, 'Oh, I'm smarter than this.'"

Experts caution to look for red flags.

"Definitely not meeting in person, face-to-face is a huge red flag," Guzman said. "And they'll usually come up with some excuse as to why or say they don't feel comfortable yet."

And there's always that request for money.

"Something [like], if I don't get the money, I'm going to lose my house or I'm going to lose my car," Guzman said. "Don't you love me? Don't you care about me?"

He said that if you're a victim, you might be embarrassed, but you need to report it. And if you think you might be a victim, "I would say a healthy amount of skepticism is probably a good thing," Guzman said.

Experts caution not to trust names or profile pictures — scammers will steal pictures from other profiles or websites, or have AI-generated pictures. For more on this scam and how to report it, visit https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-frauds-and-scams/romance-scams.