February is the month of love, and even though Valentine's Day has passed, scammers are still looking to take advantage of those looking for love this month.

According to a press release from FBI Cleveland, these scams typically occur when scammers create a fake profile on a dating site or social media platform and trick victims into believing they are looking for a relationship.

From there, scammers will make up stories of financial hardships in order to convince victims to send them money.

In 2022 alone, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center received over 19,000 complaints regarding romance scams with reported losses of at least $739 million.

This year, the FBI is alerted folks to a style of romance scam known as "pig butchering" which starts out with a scammer contacting a person on a dating or social media app.

Eventually, the scammer will convince the victim to make investments in cryptocurrency to take advantage of potential for high-yield returns.

If you find yourself meeting a potential partner online and are concerned it may be a scam, the FBI has some tips to make sure you're safe to pursue that relationship.

- Be careful sharing too much personal information. Scammers could use those details to target you.

- Only use dating sites with a well-known reputation and research photos and profiles online to see if anyone has used that name or image elsewhere.

- Be aware on online suitors who try to isolate you from your family or friends, or those who ask you to send inappropriate photos or financial information that may later be used to extort you

- Don't send money to someone you've never met in person. Scammers often use emotional pleas and stories of despair to trick you into believing their story of need.

If you suspect you're dealing with a romance scammer, you can call 1-800-CALL-FBI to file a report, or file a tip online here. If you've already sent money, contact a financial institution.