Phishing for Love: A Sharp Surge in Valentine’s Day-Themed Scams

This KnowBe4 Threat Research report details a global, seasonal phishing campaign (Valentine’s Day-themed) that surged in early February and primarily targets Microsoft 365 users by impersonating well-known brands (e.g., Marriott, Hilton, Amazon). Attackers use image-only emails, typosquatted links, captchas to evade scanners, and social-engineering urgency to harvest credentials or deliver malware; the report includes prevalence statistics, example attacks, and recommends combining user awareness training with AI/ML anti-phishing defenses.