COLORADO — In the days of online dating, profiles get swiped left and right for potential partnerships, but a darker reality lurks. Instead of looking for love, many might be hunting for something far less genuine, financial gain.
This intersection of romance and risk presents a complex picture of online dating where sincerity and deception often meet. More than 60 million Americans were looking for love on dating apps in 2023, according to Statistica. But according to the FBI, thousands of people could be looking for a handout.
“Romance scams have been around for a long time and in 2023 in Colorado alone, people reported losing $10 million to romance scams,” said FBI Public Affairs Specialist Vikki Migoya.
Romance scams are listed among the top 20 most popular scams, with a loss of $652 million reported in 2023 from victims in the US, Migoya said.
So what exactly is a romance scam?
“A romance scam is when the fraudster attempts to have an online relationship with the victim so that they can foster a relationship and use that to ask for money from the victim for deceitful purposes,” Migoya said.
Donna Shugrue, the owner of Perfectly Matched, a Colorado Springs-based match-making service, says she thought dating apps would put her out of business, but she was wrong.
“The reality today is that it does send me more people than it takes away because they're not safe. They’re just not safe,” Shugrue said. “That’s the bottom line. They’re more people on there cheating, lying, and scamming than there are people that truly want to meet someone.”
She’s been helping people find each other for the past 34 years and has helped 700 couples say "I do." She said she takes a more intimate approach with her hopeful clients because she’s heard of some of the disappointing experiences that come with online dating.
“I meet with everybody personally and verify a valid driver's license,” Shugrue said. “So when they come to me, they know they need to be who they say they are and the age they say they are. Part of my contract also states if you’ve given any wrong information, I can cancel your membership and keep your money.”
Data shows of the more than 300 million people use dating apps worldwide, only about 20 million pay for premium features. While more people are searching for a partner may be inclined to take the more cost-effiecient route, Shugrue says everything has a cost.
“[Dating apps] are more time consuming and time is more important than money. One of the reasons people tell me they come to me is to save time,” Shugrue said.
Whether you decide to pay a matchmaker or use dating apps, Shugrue says everyone looking for a partner should follow one rule.
“Don’t get invested emotionally in conversations and all that - meet. You talk to them, you’ve got a number, meet,” Shugrue said.
The number one sign of a romance scam is having a relationship with a person who never wants to meet you in person, according to the FBI.
“Always wonder what’s going on if the person you’re having a relationship with will not meet you in person and they’re asking for money,” Migoya said.
While navigating the worldwide landscape of online dating, it’s important to balance the excitement of new connections with a healthy dose of skepticism.
“If a person is a fraudster/scammer, they’re going to reach people on whatever platform they can, wherever they can,” Migoya said. “So we advise that in all aspects of their lives, people have a little red flag going on to be careful with their money.”
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