President Trump has signed into law the Romance Scam Prevention Act, a bipartisan bill that requires dating apps to notify users who have interacted with someone removed from the platform for fraudulent activity.
President Trump has signed into law the Romance Scam Prevention Act, a bill that requires dating apps to notify users who have interacted with someone removed from the platform for fraudulent activity. The legislation, introduced by Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) with bipartisan support, targets romance scams that cost Americans $1.5 billion in 2025, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Global losses are estimated to exceed $1 trillion annually.
A year-long investigation by Sen. Maggie Hassan found that Match Group, which controls major dating apps such as Tinder, Hinge, and OkCupid, has been slow to adopt the best technological safeguards, according to findings released in recent weeks.
Under the new law, affected users must be notified if they have communicated with an account removed for fraud while still on the app. However, the law does not impose obligations on apps to remove fraudulent users or prevent them from joining in the first place. Its effectiveness largely depends on app companies' willingness to proactively identify and remove scammers.
The legislation also does not address other safety concerns. A Columbia Journalism Investigations survey found that one-third of women who use dating apps reported being sexually assaulted or raped by someone they met through an app. The act does not cover such violence or other related harms.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Dating app users may gain a new tool to avoid being scammed, though the law's impact may be limited by its narrow scope.
- The law signals growing congressional scrutiny of online dating platforms after years of inaction.
- Broader safety issues, including sexual assault, remain unaddressed by the legislation.
Background
Romance scams cost Americans $1.5 billion in 2025, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Dating apps have been criticized for not adequately screening for fraudulent users. A recent investigation by Sen. Maggie Hassan reportedly found that Match Group, which owns Tinder, Hinge, and OkCupid, has lagged in implementing technological safeguards.
What to Watch
- Whether the new law and Sen. Hassan's report pressure dating apps to improve fraud detection voluntarily.
- Potential introduction of stricter legislation requiring apps to proactively remove scammers.
- Continued reporting on the extent of sexual violence linked to dating app encounters.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 7 supported.
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- SupportedTrump signed the Romance Scam Prevention Act into law, requiring dating apps and services to notify users who interacted with someone removed for fraudulent activity.Reason Magazine: “Last week, President Trump signed into law the Romance Scam Prevention Act that Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) introduced and that received bipartisan sponsorship. In short, this new federal law requires dating apps and services to notify users who have interacted with someone who was removed for fraudulent activity.”
- Partly supportedThe Act aims to address $1.5 billion in annual romance-scam losses.Reason Magazine: “The scale of romance scams is enormous , with Americans losing $1.5 billion in 2025 as per the FTC”
- SupportedThe Act does not require apps to remove scammers.Reason Magazine: “The Romance Scam Prevention Act, however, places no obligations on apps to remove fraudsters or to prevent their joining apps in the first place.”
- Partly supportedRep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) introduced the bill, which had bipartisan support.Reason Magazine: “the Romance Scam Prevention Act that Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) introduced and that received bipartisan sponsorship.”
- SupportedThe FTC says romance scams cost Americans $1.5 billion in 2025.Reason Magazine: “Americans losing $1.5 billion in 2025 as per the FTC”
- SupportedGlobal romance-scam losses exceed $1 trillion annually.Reason Magazine: “global losses coming in yearly at over $1 trillion.”
- SupportedA year-long investigation released findings in recent weeks in which Sen. Maggie Hassan concluded Match Group lagged in adopting the best technological safeguards.Reason Magazine: “According to a year-long investigation whose results were released in recent weeks, U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan concluded that Match Group has greatly lagged behind in its efforts to implement the best technological safeguards available.”
- SupportedMatch Group controls major dating apps including Tinder, Hinge and OkCupid.Reason Magazine: “Match Group (which controls most of the best-known dating apps such as Tinder, Hinge, and OkCupid)”
- Partly supportedUsers must be notified if they communicated with an account removed for fraud while still on the app.Reason Magazine: “The new legislation may help users who are still in touch off-app with fraudsters who have been removed.”
- Partly supportedThe law’s effectiveness largely depends on app companies’ willingness to proactively identify and remove scammers.Reason Magazine: “the system largely depends on whether dating apps effectively remove said fraudsters in the first place.”
- SupportedA Columbia Journalism Investigations survey found that one-third of women who use dating apps report having been sexually assaulted or raped by someone they met through an app.Reason Magazine: “according to a Columbia Journalism Investigations survey , one third of women who use dating apps report having been sexually assaulted or raped by someone they met on an app.”
- Partly supportedThe Act does not address violence or related harms, or other safety concerns.Reason Magazine: “Neither the Romance Scam Prevention Act nor other congressional action so far addresses these many acts of violence or other related harms.”