A new study expects there to be an unprecedented rise in online romance scams this Valentineâs Day, with scammers preying on lonely and isolated people during the pandemic.
Americans lost $201 million to romance scams in 2019, more than any other type of scam. Montana had 53 reported victims, though the numbers are likely much higher with many people too embarrassed to come forward.
When the the final totals are released for 2020, they are expected to show an increase in correlation with surging dating app usage as more Americans turn online for human connection.
In 2020, Bumble saw an 84 percent increase in video calls and Match Group, which owns 60 percent of the market including Tinder, saw subscriptions increase by 15 percent.