Romance Scam Statistics 2026: Losses, Victims and Warning Signs
Americans reported more than $1.16 billion in romance scam losses to the FTC in the first nine months of 2025, from 55,604 reports (up 22% year over year). The median victim lost $2,218. The FBI separately counted $672 million in romance and confidence fraud losses in 2024. And 52% of online daters say they’ve met someone they believed was a scammer. Most scams follow the same pattern: fast affection, a reason they can’t meet, then a request for money or crypto.
How much romance scams cost
| Statistic | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Reported romance scam losses, Jan–Sep 2025 | $1.16 billion+ | FTC data via Global Dating Insights |
| Romance scam reports, Jan–Sep 2025 | 55,604 (up 22%) | FTC data via Global Dating Insights |
| Losses in Q3 2025 alone | $398 million from 11,200+ people | FTC data via Global Dating Insights |
| Median loss per victim, Q3 2025 | $2,218 | FTC data via Global Dating Insights |
| Romance & confidence fraud losses reported to the FBI, 2024 | $672 million | FBI figures |
| Total scam losses reported by adults 60+, 2024 | $2.4 billion (all scam types) | FTC data via Global Dating Insights |
| Online daters who think they met a scammer | 52% | Pew Research Center |
These are only reported losses. Many victims never report out of embarrassment, so the real total is higher. Romance scams also cost more per victim than most fraud types, because scammers spend weeks or months building trust before asking for anything.
How romance scammers get paid
The FTC lists the same payment methods again and again: gift cards, wire transfers and cryptocurrency. Each is hard to reverse, which is exactly why scammers ask for them.
- Crypto “investment” scams. A match offers to teach you to trade or shows profits on an app or website. The platform is fake, and the “profits” can’t be withdrawn. These are often called pig-butchering scams and are among the most costly.
- Gift cards. Requests to buy cards and send photos of the codes. No real partner, soldier or doctor needs to be paid in gift cards.
- Wire transfers and payment apps. “Emergency” medical bills, travel costs, customs fees or a frozen bank account.
- Money mule requests. Asking you to receive and forward money or packages. This can make you part of a crime.
Check a match’s username, email or phone against scam reports
Free. We search scam-report sites and fraud mentions across the web.
Who gets targeted
- Everyone, at every age. Pew found that 63% of men under 50, 47% of men 50+ and 44% of women who use dating apps believe they’ve met a scammer.
- Older adults lose the most per victim. They often have savings and may be newer to apps. Adults 60 and older reported $2.4 billion in total scam losses in 2024, up from $600 million in 2020.
- People going through change. Recently divorced, widowed, moved or isolated people are frequent targets because scammers look for loneliness.
- Young men are targeted by sextortion. A fast-moving match asks for intimate photos, then threatens to share them unless paid.
The typical romance scam timeline
- Contact. An attractive profile on a dating app or social media, often with model-quality photos taken from someone else.
- Move off the app. Within days they ask to chat on WhatsApp, Telegram or Google Chat, away from the app’s safety tools.
- Love bombing. Constant messages, quick declarations of love, plans for a future together.
- The barrier. They can never meet or video call: working on an oil rig, deployed overseas, a doctor abroad, a broken camera.
- The ask. A crisis, a fee, a ticket to visit you, or an investment opportunity.
- Escalation. After the first payment, new problems appear, each needing more money.
12 warning signs of a romance scam
- Professional or model-like photos only
- Very few photos, or none with friends
- Wants to leave the dating app quickly
- Says “I love you” within days
- Can’t video call, or the camera is always broken
- Job keeps them abroad or unreachable
- Story details change over time
- Grammar or writing style shifts suddenly
- Talks about crypto, trading or investments
- Asks for gift cards, wires or crypto
- Asks you to keep the relationship secret
- Gets upset or guilt-trips when you hesitate
Our romance scam check includes an 8-question red-flag quiz that scores a match based on these signs.
How to check a match in 5 minutes
- Reverse-search their photos. Upload one to our photo search. If it shows up under another name, or on a model or stock site, it’s a fake profile.
- Search their username. Real people leave a trail. Run the handle through our username search.
- Check scam reports. Paste their email, phone or username into the scam check.
- Ask for a live video call. A short call ends most scams. Excuses every time are your answer.
- Talk to someone you trust. Scammers want secrecy. A friend’s outside view is one of the best protections.
For more detail, read how to tell if a dating profile is fake.
If you’ve already sent money
- Stop paying. Promises that “one more payment” will unlock your money are part of the scam.
- Contact your bank, card issuer or payment app right away and ask them to stop or reverse the payment. For gift cards, call the card company with the codes.
- Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, the FBI at ic3.gov, and the dating app.
- Beware of recovery scams. People who promise to recover lost money for a fee are often scammers too.
- Save everything: screenshots, usernames, payment receipts and wallet addresses.
FAQ
How much money is lost to romance scams each year?
US victims reported more than $1.16 billion in romance scam losses to the FTC in the first nine months of 2025 alone. The FBI recorded $672 million in romance and confidence fraud losses in 2024.
What is the average romance scam loss?
The median loss was $2,218 in Q3 2025, according to FTC data. Some victims lose far more, especially in crypto investment scams.
Which payment method do romance scammers prefer?
Gift cards, wire transfers and cryptocurrency, because they’re hard to trace and reverse.
Are romance scams increasing?
Yes. FTC reports for January to September 2025 were up 22% from the same period in 2024.
Sources
- Federal Trade Commission Consumer Sentinel data, reported by FTC data via Global Dating Insights, February 2026.
- FBI romance scam figures for 2024, reported by Fox 47 News.
- Pew Research Center, “Key findings about online dating in the U.S.”, 2023.