Anna Rowe, a teacher from England, was the victim of a romance scam involving love bombing—a manipulative tactic where scammers overwhelm targets with affection to gain trust quickly. Her online partner, Antony, used a fake identity and emotional manipulation to deceive her and at least 16 other women, with police suspecting up to 200 victims. Love bombing typically unfolds in stages: gathering personal information, withdrawing affection to create insecurity, and then asserting control—sometimes for emotional dominance, other times for financial gain. Rowe now runs nonprofits to support victims and raise awareness, as romance scams continue to rise, especially among vulnerable individuals on dating apps. Source: www.aarp.org.