Valentine's Day by the numbers

Staff report
Money can’t buy you love, sang the Beatles. But cash can make Valentine's Day a happier occasion.
Capital One shopping says Americans spent $26 billion for Valentine’s Day in 2023, an average of $186 each on gifts, meals and expenses.
Other sources put spending for candy at more than $2 billion a year and $2.6 billion on flowers.
More numbers surrounding Valentine’s Day:
•More older Americans are looking for love, or at least are unattached.
Nationally, the number of single seniors is up by 5.8 million in the last 10 years to 25.9 million, according to an analysis by Seniorly. Another 4.2 million people will turn 65 this year, a “gray tsunami.”
More seniors may be finding romance. Marriage rates for adults 65 and older hit a 10-year high of 56.3%.
•The bad news is that Louisiana ranks low in Seniorly’s analysis of the best and worst states for seniors.
Louisiana is at No. 45 due to high levels of mental distress, poor health outcomes and an uneven gender ratio – 1.25 women for every man among seniors.
The good news: Louisiana has among the most affordable date nights ($81.30, No. 1 on the list), the fifth-highest percentage of single seniors (47.2%) and a strong restaurant presence (1,421 per 100,000 people, No. 5).
Scam romance
Love is sometimes blind, at least where scams are concerned.
The U.S. Postal Service and Postal Inspection Service warn people of all ages to beware of romance scams, “a deceptive form of fraud that preys on individual seeking companionship.”
The scams often start online but escalate into requests for money or valuables sent through the mail, damaging the emotions as well as the bank account.
Scammers create fake identities, often using stolen photos and fictitious personal details. 
They cultivate online relationships over weeks or months, building trust through social media, dating apps or email, and pledge their love early on.
Once trust is established, they fabricate urgent financial needs – such as medical emergencies, travel expenses, or business problems – to solicit money.
Victims are pressured into sending cash, checks, wire transfers or gift cards, making recovery difficult once the fraud is detected.
•Be cautious of online relationships that escalate quickly, especially if the individual avoids in-person meetings or video calls.
•Look for inconsistencies in the person’s profile and the information they share. Keep your personal information private. 
•Never send money, checks, gift cards or personal finance information to someone you haven’t met in person.
•Be suspicious of requests for secrecy or urgent financial help.
•If you think it’s a scam, cut off communication immediately and report it.
Americans lost $1.14 billion to romance scams in 2023, up from $547 million the year prior.
The Social Catfish website released a list of the 100 most “catfished” photos used by scammers to make victims fall in love. You can reach the site at https://socialcatfish.com/scamfish/100-most-catfished-photos-of-2025/.
Speaking
of scams …
Did your potential soulmate wow you with an online profile bragging about volunteer work?
Well, from walking rescue dogs at animal shelters to planting trees in community parks, as well as the aforementioned doing good, it looks good. Who wouldn’t swoon at the sight of a man comforting a helpless puppy, or helping those less fortunate at a food bank?
DatingNews wanted to find out how many men are turning to volunteer work not out of pure philanthropy, but to boost their romantic appeal and score a date. With that in mind, they surveyed 3,004 respondents and found out that in Louisiana, 10% admit to being "philanthropy players,” and only joining a charitable cause to boost their dating profile.
In terms of which causes Louisiana men felt were the best in terms of making them look good on a dating website, the top one would be volunteering at animal shelters, perhaps banking on the fact that many would-be partners would melt at the thought of a cute kitten or puppy being looked after by a caring man. 
The second most popular cause was helping at food banks and soup kitchens; after all, helping one’s fellow human beings is pretty powerful.
Additional findings from the DatingNews survey found that 16% of men admit to exaggerating their volunteer work on a dating profile; perhaps because they know that 45% of singles would be more likely to swipe right on someone who has a volunteer-related photo in their dating profile.