Romance Scams news and trends

Dating Apps Try to Woo Gen Z Women Amid Threats and Scams
Connected Economy // May 26, 2024

Dating apps have reportedly begun considering new features as younger women sour on their services. As the Financial Times (FT) reported Sunday (May 26), companies like Bumble and Match are planning to also increase content moderation and introduce other tools to improve women’s experiences, amid a rise in unsolicited material and...

Complaints of Fraud Targeting Older Americans Rose 14% in 2023
Security & Fraud // May 01, 2024

Fraud targeting older Americans’ money or cryptocurrency increased by double-digit percentages in 2023. The number of complaints of elder fraud increased by 14% during the year, while the associated losses rose by 11%, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) said in a Tuesday (April 30) press release. Individuals...

Online Romance Scams Grow More Sophisticated With Deepfakes, Advanced Tech
Security & Fraud // February 13, 2024

In this era of connectivity, where virtual encounters often precede physical ones, online relationships have become a breeding ground for exploitation, with fraudsters capitalizing on the vulnerabilities of hopeful hearts for financial gain.  This darker side of romance manifests in the rising tide of online...

Pay.UK on Striking the Balance Between Fast and Friction in Stopping UK Fraud Epidemic
Security & Fraud // February 14, 2023

The U.K. has been experiencing a widespread payments fraud epidemic in recent years. Authorized push payment (APP) fraud, for example, increased 40% between 2020 and 2021 and amounted to £583 million ($706 million) in losses in 2021, nearly half of the £1.3 billion ($1.57 billion)...

Interviews & Exclusives
Online Romance Scams Grow More Sophisticated With Deepfakes, Advanced Tech

February 13, 2024
In this era of connectivity, where virtual encounters often precede physical ones, online relationships have become a breeding ground for exploitation, with fraudsters capitalizing on the vulnerabilities of hopeful hearts for financial gain.  This darker side of romance manifests in the rising tide of online romance scams, also known as confidence scams. In these schemes, […]

Pay.UK on Striking the Balance Between Fast and Friction in Stopping UK Fraud Epidemic

February 14, 2023
The U.K. has been experiencing a widespread payments fraud epidemic in recent years. Authorized push payment (APP) fraud, for example, increased 40% between 2020 and 2021 and amounted to £583...

Quick Reads
SE Asia-Based Scam Groups Raked in $37 Billion in 2023

October 07, 2024
Scammers based in Southeast Asia took in up to $37 billion in 2023. These groups are still ramping up their efforts in spite of increased law enforcement activity, Bloomberg News reported Monday (Oct. 7), citing a new United Nations (UN) report. “The transnational organized crime threat landscape in Southeast Asia is evolving faster than in any […]

Dating Apps Try to Woo Gen Z Women Amid Threats and Scams

May 26, 2024
Dating apps have reportedly begun considering new features as younger women sour on their services. As the Financial Times (FT) reported Sunday (May 26), companies like Bumble and Match are planning to also increase content...

Complaints of Fraud Targeting Older Americans Rose 14% in 2023

May 01, 2024
Fraud targeting older Americans’ money or cryptocurrency increased by double-digit percentages in 2023. The number of complaints of elder fraud increased by 14% during the year, while the associated losses...

The Cost Of Love: FTC Data Shows Over $200M Lost To Romance Scams In 2019

February 13, 2020
Consumers reported losing $201 million to romance scams last year — an almost 40 percent increase since 2018 per new U.S. Federal Trade Commission data from the Consumer Sentinel Network,...