For comparison, older adults lost $84 million to romance scams in in 2019, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
Reports of bank transfers and payments in this age group also doubled in 2020, and the FTC reported that romance scams were the drivers of these increases.
Scammers often use fake dating profiles to lure people into sending money, sometimes through gift cards or wire transfers, consumer advocates say.
They often tell targets that they’re traveling outside of the United States — as a part of the military, for example — and ask for money to pay for plane tickets, surgeries, visas and more.
Rampant loneliness existed long before COVID-19, and experts believe it’s now worse, prompting people to seek out connections.
“Many people reported that romance scammers used the pandemic to explain requests for money or their inability to meet in person,” according to the report.
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