More than $82 million was lost in the second half of last year to romance scams, where con-artists court mostly older women looking for love online and then ask for money to resolve fake emergency situations.

Thousands of people are turning to the Internet to find love, only to be swindled out of their savings.


Called romance scams, they typically involve online messages, smooth talking, and then requests for money to resolve emergency situations. 


Based on incidents reported to the Internet Crime Complaint Center in just the second half of last year, around 6,000 Americans reportedly lost more than $82 million.


In Vermont alone, individual losse