Flirting as a Scam Tactic: The Most Expensive Date You’ll Never Go On

If you think seduction as a tool for data gathering belongs solely in James Bond movies, think again. Cybercriminals are actively using flirtation and romance to scam

The FBI recently issued a public warning: Scammers are hijacking accounts to steal intimate content and sell it on criminal marketplaces or to blackmail victims, both adults and minors. The perpetrators pose as romantic interests to manipulate targets into revealing credentials, clicking malicious links, or sharing sensitive material.

A Calculated Emotional Investment

“For an attacker, technical breaches are usually costly. Emotional ones are nearly free - they require only patience. Instead of investing in tools and code, criminals spend a week or two on conversations and compliments, creating the illusion of mutual understanding. When the trust or attraction is established, things can quickly go downhill,” says Deividas Ambrazevicius, an engineering manager at NordPass.

Ambrazevicius shared the story of a man who recently met a woman on holiday. They had a great time, and by day four, he received a link with a note: “Here’s our photo album, just for you.” Ten minutes later, his own personal photos, videos, sensitive files, and everything from active login sessions to internal documents were in someone else’s hands.

No password was stolen - trust was.

The victim clicked on the alleged link to a photo album and installed the malware himself, blindsided by emotions and a holiday romance.

Common Romantic Scams Include:

• Flirtation as an opener. Emotional closeness dulls critical thinking. A link from a romantic interest gets scrutinized far less than one from your bank.

• Fake relationships. Long-term emotional investment makes a single request - for money, photos, or credentials - feel natural.

“The weakest link isn’t the password, it’s the desire to be noticed. It’s also a risk for organisations. They must train employees to recognise emotional manipulation, not just fake banking emails. A romantic scam targeting an employee can become a gateway into corporate infrastructure. The most sophisticated firewall won’t help if an employee hands over credentials to someone they trust because of an emotional attachment,” says Ambrazevicius.

For more information: https://nordpass.com