EE warns Valentine daters over rise of 'unprotected text'

EE is tapping into the Valentine’s Day lovefest to promote its online safety tools and warn daters about the dangers of “unprotected texts” as new research reveals nine in ten (93%) Brits have shared personal data online, which could be used to impersonate or scam them.

With nearly a third (28%) of relationships now beginning online, EE’s study found that people share an average of 155 messages with other singles before meeting up in person.

And, while online dating has opened new options for singles, it is also the perfect channel for criminals hunting for new ways to defraud their victims. One in ten (11%) people on the dating scene today now report that they have been targeted by a coordinated romance scam, with one in five losing an average of £2,500 as a result.

Millions more are at risk. Nine in ten (93%) people actively looking for love have shared sensitive information such as phone number (65%), location (51%), social media profile (35%), email address (27%), or date of birth (23%) with strangers met online before they’ve had a chance to meet in person.

One in three (34%) have experienced suspicious behaviour, while one in six (15%) have been asked flat out for money.

EE regulatory affairs director Richard Wainer said: “Scammers are experts at preying on the vulnerable. At this time of year, when social media is full of public displays of affection, it can be tempting to turn a blind eye to the red flags, but spotting them is more important than ever.”

In fact, EE blocked 12 million scam texts last February, well above the monthly average of 8.9 million over the past year, and is expecting this February to be another busy month for its scam defences.

The telecoms giant is keen to promote its role in online safety, with a range of services designed to help customers stay safe online, from blocking millions of suspicious calls, texts and emails every month, to offering advanced fraud protection tools such as Scam Guard.

It maintains its anti-spam filter has blocked almost half a billion (419million) text messages since it launched in 2021.

Wainer continued: “The threat of scams is an unhappy part of life in 2025, and we’re all increasingly familiar with the traditional calling cards of a scam. However, in a dating context, we’re more vulnerable to social engineering and attempts to defraud can be harder to spot.

“That’s why it’s so important people practice ‘safe texts’. We recommend keeping your sensitive information like your address, email address and security question answers closely guarded and do not share these via text.”

“Always verify someone’s identity with a video call or meeting before getting too personal and never send money or gifts to someone you’ve just met online.”

TOPICS:broadband data security EE fraud online dating scams telecoms