From Manhattan’s crowded city streets to the small quiet towns of Upstate New York, the Empire State is packed with singles looking for love — and trusting all the wrong people in the process.

Some good news: Online dating will get a little safer for New Yorkers in February.

NY State has introduced legislation that gives dating platforms the right to tell users when someone they’ve matched with has been banned from the app in the past. One bill specifically addresses romance scams and instances of user fraud.

“Americans lose billions each year to scams, and dating sites are often used to target those looking to connect,” NY State Senator James Skoufis wrote in his support of the bill. He went on to call it a “common sense bill” that takes the internet’s evolution — and fraudsters’, too — into account. “Having this fuller picture can help New Yorkers make informed decisions about with whom they want to invest their time,” he added.

What Is a Romance Scam?

The dating world is crawling with scammers who take advantage of the universal desire for love and emotional connection. Online dating offers convenience and anonymity, which makes it ideal for the average adult — and for romance scammers. These scammers hide their identities behind a trustworthy persona, and some even pretend to be well-known celebrities. 

In a typical romance scam, the scammer takes advantage of the innocent party’s loneliness, naïveté, or desire for connection by playing on their emotions. The scammer not only gains their trust, but their time and energy. By the time the scammer starts asking for money, the innocent party is in too deep to notice red flags — or they’re too ashamed to admit they’ve been had. 

Romance scammers violate the community guidelines of most dating sites and apps by creating fraudulent accounts and soliciting money from other users. If reported, these scammers most likely would have been banned from the dating platforms they used to conduct their bad behavior. But ill-behaved people will find ways to behave badly anywhere, and in some cases, they even worm their way back onto the dating platforms they were banned from.

Romance Scams Cost People Billions

New York’s legislation allows dating platforms to cut these scammers off at the pass. It is all part of the “Stop Hiding Hate” Act which, according to New York Governor Kathy Hochul, aims to protect New Yorkers from romance scams and hate speech while holding a magnifying glass up to social media companies’ self-regulation (or lack thereof).

“With this legislative package, we are taking bold action to hold companies accountable, strengthen protections, and give consumers the transparency and security they need and deserve,” Hochul said. “My administration will continue to lead the fight to protect privacy, combat fraud, and ensure every New Yorker can live and work with confidence in an increasingly digital world.”

According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers lost $1.14 billion to romance scams in 2023 alone. The romance scam pseudo-industry is booming. Everyone from the average consumer to dating industry professionals should make sure they aren’t unknowingly contributing to it. 

New York isn’t the only state to put the spotlight on online dating safety. In 2024, Sen. Faith Winter of Colorado introduced a bill to enhance the transparency of dating apps and protect users from hate and exploitation. The bill, which specifically requires dating apps to post clear guidelines and safety policies as well as report each incidence of misconduct to the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, passed in June. Connecticut, New Jersey, California, and Utah also updated online dating laws between 2023 and 2025. But the Online Dating Safety Act of 2023, which aimed to require fraud ban notifications on a federal level, has not yet been passed in the Senate.

Anyone Can Be Scammed — Even You

The internet isn’t going anywhere, and neither are the scammers who hide in its shadows. No one is too “sophisticated” to be scammed, according to the FTC. “Anyone can be targeted if they’re on a dating app or if they just have a social media presence and respond to a message from someone they don’t know.” And since the internet is always changing, it’s important to know online safety laws and keep an eye out for common signs of an online romance scam.

Some rules of thumb to avoid romance scams: Take sob stories from online strangers with a grain of salt, don’t listen to financial “advice” from an online “friend” of two weeks, and always question why your online lover refuses to meet in real life.

And, no, that hot A-list celebrity is not in love with you, as the woman who was scammed out of $855,000 by a fake AI Brad Pitt can tell you.

New York’s online dating law will go into effect in February 2025.