From Sweethearts to Scammed: Inside Valentine’s Day Fraud

February 10th, 2026

1 pm ET / 12 pm CT

Love is in the air! But unfortunately, so are romance scams, social engineering, and deepfake-enabled fraud. In this session, RiskScout teams up with Q6 Cyber to expose how modern romance scams are planned, executed, and monetized - from dark web forums to emotional manipulation inside your customers’ and members’ inboxes.

You’ll learn how to spot the financial and behavioral red flags tied to romance scams, understand how criminals are using deepfakes and AI-driven impersonation, and walk away with practical strategies for protecting your institution and educating your community before losses occur.

What You’ll Learn

• The most common romance scams & deepfake patterns hitting institutions today

• How these scams are coordinated behind the scenes via the dark web

• Actionable ways to detect, respond, and educate your customers, members, and staff

Meet the Presenter:

Robert Villanueva, Retired U.S. Secret Service Supervisor

Robert Villanueva leads the Cyber Threat Intelligence Division of Q6 Cyber. He joined Q6 Cyber after 25 years of dedicated service in the United States Secret Service, where he specialized in transnational cybercrimes, access device fraud, network intrusions, and identity theft data breaches affecting the private sector. During his tenure, Mr. Villanueva was assigned to various offices, including Miami, Europe, Latin America, and Washington D.C., and served in both investigative and undercover capacities around the world. Mr. Villanueva founded the U.S. Secret Service’s Cyber Intelligence Section, which coordinates global cyber operations. Mr. Villanueva also headed the U.S. Secret Service’s Miami Electronic Crimes Task Force, which counts 800+ members from the private sector, academia and local/federal law enforcement.

Mr. Villanueva has conducted extensive research on computer botnets and malware development attributed to foreign actors. He has led numerous projects for the U.S. Secret Service in partnership with Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon University, and various private sector companies.

Mr. Villanueva presently serves as an advisor to the Board of Directors of various organizations and universities, including Florida International University, The Florida International Security Association, The Florida International Banker’s Association and The International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators.