EXCLUSIVE: As romance scams are on the rise, a bipartisan group of lawmakers is introducing new legislation aimed at holding accountable those who seek to defraud retirees and steal their hard-earned savings.
U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., and Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., introduced the Romance Scam Prevention Act, which would require dating apps and services to issue fraud ban notifications to users who have interacted with a person removed from the app.
The move came as Americans are more than ever connected thanks to social media and dating apps that allow us to stay in touch with old friends all over the world and to develop new relationships online.
As Americans increasingly go online in search of relationships, scammers are following suit. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), in 2022 almost 70,000 people reported being victims of a romance scam.
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People aged 40 to 69 are the most likely to report losing money due to a romance scam, and people 70 and older reported the highest individual median losses at $9,475, according to the FTC.
Blackburn said that the bipartisan legislation would put “critical safeguards” in place to protect app users. The senator highlighted that in 2023, Tennesseans over the age of 60 lost $43 million due to scams targeting the elderly.
“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,” she said.
READ THE BILL TEXT: MOBILE USERS CLICK HERE
The bill requires online dating service providers to notify members if they’ve communicated with someone whose account has been banned for fraudulent activity. The notification must include the banned member’s profile details and a warning that the banned member might be attempting fraud, such as requesting money.
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The bill is enforceable by the FTC and allows state attorneys general to bring civil actions on behalf of affected residents. It also ensures that no state law can interfere with the process of fraud ban notifications.
“This bipartisan, bicameral bill provides transparency, empowers users to make informed decisions, and reinforces best practices to prevent online scams,” Valadao said. “I’m proud to help lead the effort to make online dating safer and protect Americans of all ages from financial fraud.”
One such scam was recently uncovered by Las Vegas authorities in February. The Romance Scam Prevention Act would guard citizens from suspects like 43-year-old Aurora Phelps.
“Phelps would meet older men on dating websites or services, then meet them in-person. It was part of her scheme to drug the older men to gain unauthorized access to and steal money from their financial accounts to personally benefit herself and her family members,” prosecutors said.
Phelps was charged with 21 counts, including seven counts of wire fraud; three counts of mail fraud; six counts of bank fraud; three counts of identity theft; one count of kidnapping; and one count of kidnapping resulting in death, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada said in a statement.
If convicted on all counts, Phelps, who was taken into custody in Mexico, could face a maximum of life in prison.
Though she’s only charged in one death, an indictment said that at least two men she met and scammed died.
Red flags in a romance scam
In romance scams, a criminal uses a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim.
The rise of romance scams led U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to provide practical tips for people to avoid being taken advantage of.
- Be suspicious of unsolicited phone calls and text messages. Don’t answer calls or texts from any unknown numbers. Never give out personal information over the phone or text.
- Limit what you share online. Scammers can use details shared on social media and dating sites to better understand and target you to form a connection and take advantage of what is going on in your life.
- Go slowly and ask questions. Creating a false sense of urgency is a fundamental tactic of social engineering. Don’t let the individual rush you to make a decision. Be wary of sending money, bank account information, personal photos or other sensitive personal information to someone you’ve never met in person.
- Keep it on the platform. Many times, scammers will push to move the conversation off the dating or social platform. Generally, they request to text or email. This is to avoid the detection controls in dating website chats.
- Listen to your gut. If the individual seems too good to be true, talk to someone you trust about it.
- Don’t send money or cryptocurrency. Never send money to anyone you have only communicated with online or by phone. If you meet someone on a dating site, app, or social media, and they want to show you how to invest in crypto, or ask you to send them cryptocurrency, it is a fraud.
Resources
More information about the department’s efforts to help older Americans is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage, elderjustice.gov.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Elder fraud complaints can be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, at www.ovc.gov.
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