Online dating scams, also known as romance scams or romance fraud, occur when a person believes they have struck a connection or match through an online dating site or app, only to discover that the person they are speaking with is a fraudster with a phony profile. The scammer manipulates or grooms the other person over time in order to gain their trust and, ultimately, beg for money or gather enough personal information about them to steal their identity.
The Most Common Dating Scams I Came Across on The Ez Chargeback DataBase
- Scam dating sites: Scam dating sites appear to be authentic, but they are either overcrowded or loaded with scammers. These websites exist just to mine your personal data.
- Photo scams: Scammers use picture scams to persuade victims to provide personal information in exchange for intimate photos of the fraudster.
- Military romance scams: The scammer will pretend to be a member of the military who is going to be deployed. They gain trust by employing military lingo and titles before requesting funds to cover military-related expenses such as trips home.
- Intimate activity scams: Scammer connects with the victim on multiple social media websites. Once they’ve gotten close enough, the scammer persuades the victim to undress before threatening them with the recordings.
- Code verification scams: Scammers impersonating a dating app or website will issue a phony verification code via email or text. When the victim clicks on it, it will prompt them to enter personal information such as their Social Security number and credit card details.
A Few Online Dating Statistics
Unfortunately, far too many people have been involved in a love tale that does not end happily ever after. These online dating fraud statistics provide some evidence.
Romance scams on the rise
- Loneliness, particularly during COVID-19 isolation periods, and the advancement of new technologies have aided the spread of romance frauds in recent years.
- Since 2019, over half of all romantic fraud reports to the FTC have involved social media, most commonly Facebook or Instagram. Victims of social media-based scams reported losing about $117 million in the first six months of 2020, a new high. (October 2020, FTC)
- Over 35,000 victims stated that social media was used to facilitate cybercrime. (FBI, Internet Crime Report, 2020)
- Since 2015, the number of persons reporting romantic scams to the FTC has nearly tripled. (February 20, 2021, FTC)
- More than 32,000 people reported romantic scams to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 2020. (February 20, 2021, FTC)
- In 2020, over 24,000 people were victims of confidence/romance scams. (FBI, Internet Crime Report, 2020)
The true costs of online dating
- Romance scams can have a negative impact on your mental well-being and feeling of trust, as well as being expensive and irreversible.
- In 2020, the total reported losses from romance scams surpassed any other scam recorded to the FTC. (February 20, 2021, FTC)
- People reported losing $304 million to romance scams in the year 2020. That’s nine times more than it was five years ago when it was $33 million. (February 20, 2021, FTC)
- According to reports, the average individual loss from a romance scam in 2020 was $2,500. (February 20, 2021, FTC)
- The median individual loss from romance scams in 2020 was ten times larger than the median loss from all other types of fraud. (February 20, 2021, FTC)
- In 2020, the top six most dangerous scams were romance scams. (According to the BBB 2020 Scam Tracker Risk Report)
- In 2020, the second-highest internet crime loss will be confidence/romance scams, which will cost victims upwards of $600 million. (FBI, Internet Crime Report, 2020)
Online dating scams statistics for older adults
- Dating scams can affect people of all ages, but older persons are particularly vulnerable.
- People aged 55 to 64 are the most vulnerable to romance scams. (According to the BBB 2020 Scam Tracker Risk Report)
- In 2020, romantic scams cost seniors approximately $139 million, followed by prizes, sweepstakes, and lottery scams, which cost $69 million. (FTC Report on Protecting Older Consumers, 2020-2021)
- Wire transfers accounted for 68 percent of the money wasted on romance scams by older persons in 2020. (FTC Report on Protecting Older Consumers, 2020-2021)
- About $31 million in bank transfers and payments were sent in conjunction with romance scams, accounting for about a third of the money lost by older individuals to romance scams. (FTC Report on Protecting Older Consumers, 2020-2021) Older individuals were apparently defrauded of an additional $12 million in cryptocurrencies by romance scammers. (FTC Report on Protecting Older Consumers, 2020-2021)
These statistics may be damning and might result in you feeling scared, but there is no need. EzChargeBack has your back, they have required specialization to retrieve your money back, lest you fall prey to online dating scams.
click here for more articles.