Key Takeaways

Dating trends come and go, but romance scams are here to stay — and they’re getting worse, according to new data from Barclays Scams Bulletin. 

The UK-based bank recently published its 2025 Scams Bulletin, which highlighted the growing danger romance scams pose to the public. Case in point: The rate of romance scams skyrocketed 20% in Q1 year-on-year. 

Now, consumers are calling for increased protections against scammers on dating platforms. 

Specifically, three-quarters of surveyed consumers — 76% — said they want tech companies to do more to prevent romance scammers from appearing on dating platforms. 

37% of Scam Victims End Up Quitting The Apps 

One in 10 UK adults have been directly affected, or know someone who has been affected, by romance scams. And that’s just the people who have actually reported the crime; romance scams are one of the least-reported crimes because victims often feel ashamed that they were duped. 

The damage goes to the heart of the consumer: 37% of respondents told Barclays Scams Bulletin that they were so traumatized by scammers that they avoided dating afterwards — and, by that logic, dating platforms.  

The emotional damage is considerable, and the financial damage is equally startling: People have lost approximately 8,000 pounds on average (about $10,643), and 19,000 pounds ($25,282) among those older than 61. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported total losses of $1.14 billion due to romance scams in 2023. 

“Falling for a romance scam can be both financially and emotionally devastating,” said Kirsty Adams, a Fraud and Scams Expert at Barclays. “We need tech companies to step up their support and take greater action to prevent scammers from operating on their platforms.” 

The Next 30 Years of Romance Scams

This new report arrives at a notable time for the online dating industry: its 30-year anniversary. When Match.com launched in 1995, it opened a virtual door to countless singles looking for love — and countless scammers looking for targets. 

It’s no coincidence that Barclays published its Scams Bulletin on the 30th anniversary of online dating. After three decades of love gained and lost on the internet, dating platforms are coming to terms with what the next 30 years will look like — and so are consumers, many of whom fear that romance scammers are the new normal. 

Romance scams are not Match Group’s fault, but as an industry giant, it’s undoubtedly a blueprint for other dating platforms can address the issue. So when several industry leaders, including those at Match Group, created the Tech Against Scams coalition, it sent a reassuring message to consumers: “We know there’s a problem, and we’re working to fix it.” 

Tech Against Scams aims to eliminate scamming by tightening security, innovating safety features, and educating users about the ins and outs of romance scams. 

Barclays Scams Bulletin suggests that educating people about what romance scams look and sound like can be particularly useful. 

Many of the victims reported similar behaviors: 39% of people surveyed said they had communicated with a scammer for less than a month before the scammer asked them to send money, and 32% said they felt pressured by the scammer, who made their need for cash feel urgent. 

Barclays Scams Bulletin also found that scammers tend to stick to the same “urgent” stories: 32% claim they’re having an emergency; 26% said they needed money so they can renew their visas or travel to another country, and another 26% claimed they had medical bills to pay. 

“Social media platforms and dating apps are by far the biggest sources of romance scams, which is no surprise considering how the dating landscape has changed over the decades,” Adams said. These spaces will undoubtedly change even more over the next 30 years. 

With a majority of respondents calling for widespread security improvements, it’s obvious how online dating consumers want the platforms to change. The real question is whether these platforms will continue to band together to confront these challenges head-on.