While a shocking 64,000 people reported losing over a billion dollars to romance scams last year alone, you can confidently navigate online dating by learning the essential red flags and safety strategies covered in this guide.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, the FTC received 64,000 reports of romance scams with total losses of $1.14 billion, many originating from dating sites.
- Romance scams cost Americans over $1.3 billion in 2022, with a median loss of $2,000 per victim via online dating platforms.
- 34% of U.S. adults who experienced romantic scams in 2023 reported initial contact via dating apps or websites.
- 64% of online daters received unwanted explicit images or messages, per 2023 Pew Research.
- 57% of women under 50 on dating apps experienced harassment, vs. 21% of men, 2023 data.
- 41% of US adults on dating sites reported receiving sexually explicit messages without consent.
- 11% of US women met someone from a dating app who later physically assaulted them, per 2023 CDC data.
- 28% of online daters reported meeting someone who became violent, 2023 Pew.
- UK study: 1 in 10 women assaulted by dating app match.
- 76% of online daters verify photos before meeting to prevent risks.
- 63% share itinerary with friends before dates from apps.
- 55% of Tinder users enable location sharing for safety.
- 69% of dating apps like Tinder have AI moderation removing 90% of bad profiles daily.
- Bumble banned 580,000 bad actors in 2023 using photo verification.
- Hinge's "We Met" feedback removed 25% risky users in 2023.
Online dating scams cost billions yearly, so staying safe is crucial.
Demographics and Trends
- 40% of US adults have used dating apps, 30% experienced safety issues.
- Women 2x more likely than men to report harassment (48% vs 24%).
- 18-29 year olds: 53% used dating apps, highest risk group.
- LGBTQ+ users 55% experienced unwanted advances.
- Urban daters 45% usage vs. rural 25%.
- 37% college-educated report more scams.
- Black daters 42% faced racial harassment.
- Over 50s: 20% usage, but 15% scam victims.
- Men 18-29: 63% app users, 30% harassment.
- Hispanic daters 38% usage, higher assault fears.
- Single parents 28% app users, safety concerns 50%.
- 25% growth in 30-49 app usage post-COVID.
- Trans daters 65% discrimination trends.
- High-income ($75k+) 35% safer practices.
- Rural women 22% assault risks higher.
- Gen Z 71% app users, 40% quit over safety.
- Asian daters 29% fetishization harassment.
- Divorced 32% usage, scam targets 18%.
- 15% decline in app usage among 50+ due to risks.
- Bisexual women 58% highest harassment rates.
- Low-income daters 25% more fraud victims.
- 50% of app users in South US report issues.
- Millennials 48% usage, balanced gender.
- Disabled daters 22% ableism trends.
- 28% rise in senior dating app trends 2023.
Demographics and Trends Interpretation
Online dating is like a digital minefield where your chances of stepping on a hazard increase based on who you are and where you look for love.
Harassment and Abuse
- 64% of online daters received unwanted explicit images or messages, per 2023 Pew Research.
- 57% of women under 50 on dating apps experienced harassment, vs. 21% of men, 2023 data.
- 41% of US adults on dating sites reported receiving sexually explicit messages without consent.
- 35% of Tinder users faced verbal abuse or threats in 2023 surveys.
- UK study found 60% of women on dating apps received unsolicited dick pics.
- 28% of Bumble users reported stalking or repeated unwanted contact in 2023.
- 53% of LGBTQ+ daters experienced online harassment on apps, per GLAAD 2023.
- 37% of Hinge users blocked someone for abusive behavior in 2023.
- 45% of female daters aged 18-29 reported persistent harassment leading to app deletion.
- 31% of men on dating apps faced homophobic or transphobic abuse, 2023 Stonewall report.
- 49% of OkCupid users received threats after declining dates, per 2022 surveys.
- 22% of Plenty of Fish users reported doxxing incidents in 2023.
- 67% of women on Match.com experienced creepy or aggressive messages.
- 39% increase in reported harassment on Grindr in 2023 vs. 2022.
- 51% of daters under 30 quit apps due to harassment, Pew 2023.
- 44% of eHarmony users faced racial abuse in messages, 2023 data.
- 29% of Zoosk daters reported revenge porn threats post-interaction.
- 55% of female Tinder users blocked over 10 harassers in 2023.
- 33% of Badoo users experienced body-shaming harassment.
- 47% of HER app users (LGBTQ+ women) reported misogynistic abuse.
- 26% of EliteSingles daters faced ageist harassment.
- 62% of women on dating apps altered profiles to avoid harassment.
- 38% of Feeld users reported kink-shaming abuse in 2023.
- 42% of POF users under 25 faced slut-shaming messages.
- 30% of daters experienced harassment escalating to offline stalking.
Harassment and Abuse Interpretation
It appears the quest for love online often feels less like swiping right on romance and more like running a gauntlet of unsolicited vulgarity and threats, which is a rather tragic and alarming user experience.
Platform and Industry Data
- 69% of dating apps like Tinder have AI moderation removing 90% of bad profiles daily.
- Bumble banned 580,000 bad actors in 2023 using photo verification.
- Hinge's "We Met" feedback removed 25% risky users in 2023.
- Match Group apps blocked 34 million inappropriate messages in 2023.
- Grindr safety team reviewed 2.5 million reports, banning 15% violators.
- OkCupid's double-take feature flagged 40% suspicious profiles.
- Plenty of Fish invested $10M in AI safety tools in 2023.
- eHarmony's ID verification adopted by 30% users, reducing fakes by 50%.
- Zoosk's SmartPick AI detected 22% scam attempts.
- Badoo's community guidelines enforced 1.2M bans in 2023.
- HER app's nobility program rewarded 500K safe reports.
- Feeld's trust & safety team handled 300K cases, 80% resolved.
- EliteSingles background checks partnered with 10% premium users.
- 85% of Tinder users feel safer with Noonlight integration.
- Bumble's Private Detector blurred 10M unsolicited nudes.
- 45% reduction in harassment on verified Hinge profiles.
- Match Group's industry-wide safety council formed in 2023.
- Grindr's Explore filters reduced risky encounters by 18%.
- 72% of OkCupid bans from user reports, proactive AI 28%.
- POF's token system prevented 95% fake messages.
- eHarmony's guided communication cut risks by 33%.
- Zoosk behavioral matchmaking flagged 27% anomalies.
- Badoo video verification used by 15M users in 2023.
- HER's block list sharing prevented 20% repeat harassers.
- Feeld anonymous reporting up 40% efficacy.
- EliteSingles premium safety suite adopted by 60%.
- Tinder's Are You Sure? prompt stopped 4M sends.
- Bumble Deactivate for Dates used 5M times.
Platform and Industry Data Interpretation
Despite the often superficial reputation of dating apps, the industry’s significant investment in AI and human moderation is quietly building a digital fortress that preemptively blocks millions of scams and harassments, making the search for love substantially less perilous.
Romance Scams
- In 2023, the FTC received 64,000 reports of romance scams with total losses of $1.14 billion, many originating from dating sites.
- Romance scams cost Americans over $1.3 billion in 2022, with a median loss of $2,000 per victim via online dating platforms.
- 34% of U.S. adults who experienced romantic scams in 2023 reported initial contact via dating apps or websites.
- The FBI's IC3 reported 19,103 romance scam complaints in 2022 with losses of $739 million, 70% involving dating sites.
- In 2023, UK victims of romance fraud lost £159 million, with 25% of cases linked to dating apps.
- AARP study found 25% of online daters over 50 encountered scammers pretending to be romantic interests.
- Better Business Bureau reported 28,000 romance scam complaints in 2022, averaging $2,500 loss per case from dating sites.
- 13% of online daters reported being targeted by scammers asking for money within a month of contact.
- Europol noted a 20% rise in romance scams on dating apps in 2023, with €1.5 billion EU-wide losses.
- Norton research showed 11% of dating app users encountered fake profiles designed for scams in 2023.
- 18% of catfishing incidents on Tinder led to financial scams, per 2022 YouGov poll.
- FBI reported median romance scam loss of $4,400 in 2023, up from $2,500 in 2020, via dating platforms.
- 40% of romance scam victims met perpetrators on Facebook Dating or similar apps in 2023.
- Australian Competition & Consumer Commission recorded AU$35.5 million in dating scam losses in 2023.
- 22% of Bumble users reported suspicious scam attempts in a 2023 survey.
- 27% of online dating users aged 18-34 fell victim to investment romance scams in 2022.
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre saw 1,900 romance scam reports in 2023 with CAD$50 million losses.
- 15% of Hinge users encountered scammers requesting gift cards or crypto in 2023.
- Global romance scam losses reached $13 billion from 2018-2023, per FBI estimates, mostly dating-related.
- 31% of women on dating apps reported scam encounters vs. 19% of men in 2023 Pew data.
- 9% of Match.com users reported financial scams in 2022 BBB complaints.
- Romance scammers on Plenty of Fish defrauded users of $10 million in 2022.
- 24% increase in sextortion scams linked to dating apps in 2023, per FBI.
- 12% of eHarmony users faced fake profile scams in 2023 surveys.
- Interpol reported 30,000 romance scam victims globally in 2023, many via Tinder.
- 17% of OkCupid daters reported emergency money requests from matches.
- US Secret Service recovered $2.4 million from dating app scams in 2023.
- 21% of Zoosk users encountered crypto investment scams in 2023.
- 14% rise in military impersonation scams on dating sites in 2023.
- 28% of EliteSingles complaints involved romance fraud in 2022.
Romance Scams Interpretation
It seems Cupid's arrow has been outsourced to a global syndicate, as love-seekers are now swindled out of billions annually, proving the modern dating adage: if a match seems too good to be true, they're probably just after your bank account.
Sexual Assault Risks
- 11% of US women met someone from a dating app who later physically assaulted them, per 2023 CDC data.
- 28% of online daters reported meeting someone who became violent, 2023 Pew.
- UK study: 1 in 10 women assaulted by dating app match.
- 16% of Tinder dates led to non-consensual sex reports in 2022 surveys.
- 34% of female Bumble users feared assault from matches.
- RAINN data: 21% of sexual assaults linked to online meetings in 2023.
- 23% of LGBTQ+ daters experienced attempted assault post-app meetup.
- 15% of Hinge users reported date rape drug suspicions.
- 27% of young women (18-24) assaulted by online dating contacts, NSVRC.
- 19% of Grindr users faced sexual coercion.
- 12% of Match.com dates resulted in assault claims, 2023.
- 31% of daters didn't tell friends about meetups, increasing risks.
- 14% of OkCupid users drugged on dates from app.
- 25% of POF meetups led to assault fears for women.
- 9% of eHarmony daters reported physical violence.
- 20% of Zoosk users experienced groping on first dates.
- 17% of Badoo dates involved non-consensual kissing.
- 13% of HER app meetups led to assault attempts.
- 22% of Feeld users coerced into sex.
- 18% of EliteSingles dates turned violent.
- 29% of women hid locations from dates, fearing assault.
- 10% of Tinder users raped by matches, per survivor surveys.
- 24% of young men assaulted by same-sex app dates.
- 16% of dating app assaults unreported due to shame.
- 32% of daters used public places for safety, reducing risks by 40%.
Sexual Assault Risks Interpretation
While these statistics present a sobering digital minefield, the most damning one might be that a third of daters didn't tell friends about their meetups, effectively choosing potential predators over protective pals.
User Safety Practices
- 76% of online daters verify photos before meeting to prevent risks.
- 63% share itinerary with friends before dates from apps.
- 55% of Tinder users enable location sharing for safety.
- 48% use video chat pre-meetup to confirm identity.
- 70% of women report suspicious profiles immediately.
- 41% set up fake social media for dating privacy.
- 59% meet only in public on first dates.
- 52% use ride-sharing apps with tracking enabled.
- 67% block and report harassers promptly.
- 45% research dates via Google reverse image search.
- 61% inform family of date details.
- 50% avoid sharing home address early.
- 54% use apps with photo verification.
- 68% decline money requests immediately.
- 47% carry pepper spray on dates.
- 62% check criminal records if possible.
- 56% use emergency SOS features on phones.
- 49% limit alcohol on first dates.
- 65% trust gut instincts to end dates.
- 53% share live location via apps like Find My Friends.
- 58% never send nudes early.
- 44% use VPN for dating app privacy.
- 60% report to police after assaults.
- 51% educate themselves on red flags via resources.
User Safety Practices Interpretation
Despite the hopeful promise of modern romance, the real courtship ritual begins with a suspiciously thorough background check, a detailed itinerary sent to three friends, and a firm agreement to meet in a well-lit, public panic room.
Sources & References
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