‘Like being in a vortex’: US report details extent of ‘devastating’ dating-app scams

US report details devastating impact of dating-app scams

The full report

A report by the US Congress has highlighted the extent of dating-app scams, with victims losing at least $1.3bn annually, according to the senators leading the investigation. The report, published on Tuesday, details the results of an investigation into romance scams on dating platforms owned by Match Group. Match Group operates apps such as Tinder, Hinge, Plenty of Fish, and Match.

The report notes that romance scams have become a leading form of financial fraud in the United States, with nearly 1.5m scammers or other bad actors on Tinder and Hinge having matched with at least one other user through the third quarter of 2025 in the US. Nearly 500,000 of those accounts exchanged contact information with another user.

Victims of dating-app scams, such as Mary, who lost $100,000 to a romance scammer on Plenty of Fish, have spoken out about their experiences. Mary told the Guardian that she tried to establish whether the scammer she spoke with was real, but he would contact her constantly and knew where she lived. She said that the man told her he needed money for work-related things and medical emergencies.

The report also notes that Match Group has introduced and expanded measures to combat scams, including a facial verification feature on the Tinder app across the US, requiring all new Tinder users to complete a video selfie verification process.