Manila, Feb. 6 -- The public is warned to be more vigilant against a surge in increasingly sophisticated "love scams" ahead of Valentine's Day, with criminal syndicates using artificial intelligence and other digital tools to deceive victims.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Friday issued the warning following an alert from the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), which observed a growing number of romance-related cybercrime cases targeting Filipinos seeking relationships online.

The CICC recorded 123 formal complaints involving love scams in 2025, with cases typically peaking during the early months of the year, particularly from January to February, as well as in June and October.

Authorities said the seasonal spike...