NASHVILLE. Tenn. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after introducing the Romance Scam Prevention Act, which would require dating apps and services to issue fraud ban notifications to users who have interacted with a person removed from the app: 

In recent years, digital romance scams have become more common as scammers target recently widowed or divorced senior citizens due to their vulnerabilities and access to cash. In 2023, Tennesseans over the age of 60 lost $43 million due to scams targeting the elderly, marking an 18% increase from the losses reported in 2022. Across the country, the Federal Trade Commission reported that romance scams resulted in victims losing $1.3 billion in 2022 alone. Senator John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) co-sponsored this legislation. 

Representative David Valadao (R-Calif.) is leading the effort to introduce this legislation in the House:

“Online dating has become an increasingly common way for people to connect, but unfortunately, it’s also a tool for scammers looking to take advantage of unsuspecting users,”said Representative Valadao. “Romance scammers use fake identities to build trust and exploit their victims financially, which has cost Americans over a billion dollars per year. This bipartisan, bicameral bill provides transparency, empowers users to make informed decisions, and reinforces best practices to prevent online scams. I’m proud to help lead the effort to make online dating safer and protect Americans of all ages from financial fraud.”

BACKGROUND

• As Americans continue to go online to find meaningful relationships, scammers are following suit. These scams accelerated during the COVID pandemic when more senior citizens turned to dating sites for companionship while they were isolated from their loved ones.

• When an online dating service provider becomes aware of a user committing fraudulent activity, such as illegally obtaining money, the online dating service provider immediately deactivates the fraudulent user's account.  

• However, individuals who meet online often take their conversations to other communication platforms, so even when a fraudulent account is removed, an individual might not know they are still communicating with someone who has been removed from the dating platform. 

• The Romance Scam Prevention Act would fill this communication gap by requiring dating app platforms to send a fraud ban notification to anyone who has communicated with someone with a fraudulent account.  

Click here for bill text.

Click here to read more about the red flag indicators of romance scams and how to avoid becoming a victim of a romance scam.