NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) has introduced a new piece of legislation that would help to prevent dating app scams.
Sen. Blackburn teamed up with Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO) to introduce the Romance Scam Prevention Act. The bill would require online dating services to inform users if they are interacting with a potential scammer.
“Scammers are merciless in their exploitation of senior citizens who join dating apps to establish meaningful connections but instead end up losing their life savings to con artists who prey on their vulnerabilities,” said Blackburn. “The Romance Scam Prevention Act would put critical safeguards in place to protect all dating app users – but especially senior citizens – from fraudulent schemes.”
Dating scams have become more common, with the Federal Trade Commission reporting that the scams resulted in victims losing $1.3 billion in 2022 alone.
Representative David Valadao (R-CA) 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 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.”
With this proposed legislation, dating apps would also be required to provide information and advice to users to prevent them from being scammed. This includes advice also provided by the Better Business Bureau, such as avoiding sending money to another user.
To read the full bill, visit here.
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