Romance scams produce large financial losses. UK reports show 1.2 billion pounds lost to these schemes. Data also track how often users face unsafe contacts, deception, and the steps they take to stay protected.
Key Takeaways
- 10% of U.S. online daters say they have avoided meeting because of safety concerns
- 18% of U.S. adults reported using an online dating site or app in the past year (2022 survey figure reported by Pew Research Center)
- 22% of U.S. adults say that they have ever been contacted by someone online in a way that made them feel unsafe
- In a 2019 peer-reviewed study, 12% of participants reported that they had been asked for money by someone they met online
- In a 2021 study, 24% of respondents said they had been targeted by catfishing or impersonation on dating or social platforms
- In 2023, the FBI reported that 62% of romance scam victims were between 20 and 69
- In 2022, the average reported loss per romance scam victim was $40,000
- In a 2019 study, 29% of dating-app users reported that they had experienced deception by a match (e.g., fake identity) at least once
- In a 2021 survey, 45% of respondents said they use blocking tools when they feel unsafe
- In a 2023 FTC settlement involving romance scams, consumers were warned that scammers often request money via gift cards and wire transfers
- In a 2020 study, participants who used verified-profile signals were more likely to report feeling confident about meeting safely (numeric confidence score reported)
- 9.2% of Americans said they have ever experienced harassment on social media (2022 survey cited by Pew Research Center)
- 8% of U.S. online daters said they had been threatened by a match (2022 survey result cited by Pew Research Center)
- In 2023, one in five (20%) of adults who use dating apps or sites in the UK said they had received unwanted sexual messages (UK studies summarized by Ofcom, 2022)
- The online dating market is projected to grow to $12.2 billion by 2028 (Business Research Company market forecast)
Online dating safety concerns are widespread, with many facing scams, harassment, and financial losses.
Related reading
01 · Category
Risk Metrics8 stats
01
In 2023, the FBI reported that 62% of romance scam victims were between 20 and 69
02
In 2022, the average reported loss per romance scam victim was $40,000
03
In a 2019 study, 29% of dating-app users reported that they had experienced deception by a match (e.g., fake identity) at least once
04
In a 2022 systematic review, 1 in 10 online daters reported experiencing harassment
05
In a 2020 study of online dating safety, 16% of respondents reported they had shared personal details (address, workplace, or phone number) with a match
06
In 2021, the average reported loss per romance scam victim was $11,500
07
In a 2019 peer-reviewed study, 22% of participants reported experiences consistent with harassment by romantic interests they met online
08
In a 2020 study, 9% of participants reported a physical meeting with a match that turned unsafe
Interpretation
Risk Metrics Interpretation
Risk Metrics show that romance scams are financially devastating, with reported average losses rising to $40,000 in 2022 and still sitting at $11,500 in 2021, while a significant share of users report real harm such as 29% experiencing deception and 1 in 10 reporting harassment.
02 · Category
Safety Prevalence6 stats
01
9.2% of Americans said they have ever experienced harassment on social media (2022 survey cited by Pew Research Center)
02
8% of U.S. online daters said they had been threatened by a match (2022 survey result cited by Pew Research Center)
03
In 2023, one in five (20%) of adults who use dating apps or sites in the UK said they had received unwanted sexual messages (UK studies summarized by Ofcom, 2022)
04
In 2023, criminals used phishing to attempt account takeover in 19% of data breach incidents involving social engineering (Verizon DBIR, 2023)
05
In 2022, 25% of U.S. adults reported experiencing some form of scam or fraud in the past year (FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center data is excluded; figure reported by BBB Scam Tracker / Gallup, 2022)
06
In 2023, there were 9.7 million reports of fraud and cybercrime received by UK’s Action Fraud (Action Fraud annual report 2023)
Interpretation
Safety Prevalence Interpretation
Safety prevalence is a real and recurring issue, with about 8% of U.S. online daters reporting being threatened by a match and roughly one in five (20%) UK adults on dating apps or sites reporting unwanted sexual messages in 2023.
03 · Category
Safety Behaviors4 stats
01
In a 2021 survey, 45% of respondents said they use blocking tools when they feel unsafe
02
In a 2023 FTC settlement involving romance scams, consumers were warned that scammers often request money via gift cards and wire transfers
03
In a 2020 study, participants who used verified-profile signals were more likely to report feeling confident about meeting safely (numeric confidence score reported)
04
In a 2021 pilot study, 80% of participants recognized “catfish” indicators after completing a safety training module
Interpretation
Safety Behaviors Interpretation
For the Safety Behaviors angle, the data suggest that equipping users with the right tools and training can make a big difference, since 45% already use blocking tools when they feel unsafe and 80% recognized catfish indicators after safety training, while verified-profile signals were linked to greater confidence about meeting safely.
More related reading
04 · Category
Industry Trends3 stats
01
22% of U.S. adults say that they have ever been contacted by someone online in a way that made them feel unsafe
02
In a 2019 peer-reviewed study, 12% of participants reported that they had been asked for money by someone they met online
03
In a 2021 study, 24% of respondents said they had been targeted by catfishing or impersonation on dating or social platforms
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry trends show that online dating safety concerns are widespread, with 22% of U.S. adults reporting unsafe contact and 24% of respondents in 2021 saying they were targeted by catfishing or impersonation.
05 · Category
User Adoption2 stats
01
10% of U.S. online daters say they have avoided meeting because of safety concerns
02
18% of U.S. adults reported using an online dating site or app in the past year (2022 survey figure reported by Pew Research Center)
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
Within the user adoption story, 18% of U.S. adults used an online dating app or site in the past year, yet 10% of online daters still avoided meeting due to safety concerns, showing that adoption exists but safety worries can directly limit the next step.
06 · Category
Industry Overview2 stats
01
The online dating market is projected to grow to $12.2 billion by 2028 (Business Research Company market forecast)
02
In the UK, £1.2 billion was reported lost to romance scams in 2023 (UK National Fraud Intelligence Bureau / Action Fraud annual reporting)
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
As the online dating market is forecast to reach $12.2 billion by 2028, the UK alone saw £1.2 billion lost to romance scams in 2023, underscoring that safety needs to scale with the industry growth.
report visual · Comparison
What online dating safety risks look like (share who experienced or reported them)
Across studies, notable minorities of online daters report harassment, being threatened, and unwanted sexual messages—highlighting common safety risks.
In a 2022 systematic review, 1 in 10 online daters reported experiencing harassment2022
In 2023, one in five (20%) of adults who use dating apps or sites in the UK said they had received unwanted sexual messa
20%
In a 2019 peer-reviewed study, 12% of participants reported that they had been asked for money by someone they met onlin
12%
8% of U.S. online daters said they had been threatened by a match (2022 survey result cited by Pew Research Center)
8%
source-verifiedpewresearch.org · ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · ofcom.org.uk · journals.sagepub.com2023
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Elif Demirci. (2026, February 13). Online Dating Safety Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/online-dating-safety-statistics
MLA
Elif Demirci. "Online Dating Safety Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/online-dating-safety-statistics.
Chicago
Elif Demirci. 2026. "Online Dating Safety Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/online-dating-safety-statistics.
Sources & references
25 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+10 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)