A new study shows online dating is surging during Coronavirus, and certain states are at a higher risk than others for online romance scams.
Online daters seeking love were scammed out of $362 million in 2018, a 70% increase from the previous year.
During the pandemic, online dating platform Bumble reported a 21% increase. Hard hit states New York and San Francisco were even higher at 26% and 23% respectively. Tinder reported a 10-15% weekly increase and the hardest hit countries like Spain and Italy are up 25%.
One thing is clear, romance and catfishing scams are bound to go up even higher in 2020, especially in places where the coronavirus is more prominent.
SocialCatfish.com -- a leading resource to verify online identities -- today released a study on the Most At-Risk States For Online Dating Scams using data from the FBI from 2019.
Here are key findings:
· 5 States with the Most Victims: California (2,206), Florida (1,363), Texas (1,287), New York (931), Pennsylvania (607).
· 5 States with the Fewest Victims: Vermont (25), South Dakota (27), North Dakota (36), D.C. (36), Wyoming (44)
Here are 4 Signs You Are Being Catfished During Coronavirus:
1. They want to move fast in the relationship. The sooner they gain your trust, the faster they can ask for money. Move at a normal pace.
2. They don’t want to video chat with you. If someone won’t meet, or even video chat, it is likely they are not who they say they are.
3. They ask for money. If anyone courting you online asks for money – in this case perhaps related to treating COVID-19 – this is the ultimate red flag and you should cease communication.
4. They have poor grammar. If they claim to be from the United States yet don’t know how to write sentences or spell words, run.
To avoid becoming a victim, thoroughly fact-check and verify online identities before meeting in person or providing any information about yourself.
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