Our Fraud Expert Shares Tips for Spotting Scams on 'Live with Kelly and Ryan'

Americans lost $574 million to romance scams last year, AARP's Amy Nofziger told Ali Wentworth and Ryan Seacrest in an appearance on Live with Kelly and Ryan on Monday that focused on spotting and stopping such scams.

Nofziger, who directs fraud victim support at AARP, says that figure is just the tip of the iceberg.

“I take that number and multiply it by 10 or 20, because these scams are hugely underreported,” she told Wentworth and Seacrest. “Everyone wants to be in love. Everyone wants to find their person. So sometimes the red flags aren’t as noticeable [as they’d be) to you and I sitting here in a committed relationship.”

Nofziger warned viewers to steer clear of potential partners who claim to be independently wealthy but ask to be sent money, gift cards or cryptocurrency. And romantic interests who encourage you to donate to little-known charitable causes deserve serious scrutiny, she says.

Watch the segment on Live With Kelly and Ryan and learn more about AARP’s Fraud Watch Network.