Facing solitude during the coronavirus pandemic caused many singles to turn to internet dating websites. But many hopefuls learned the hard way that internet appearances — and intentions — can be deceiving.
In fact, online romance scams cost the lovelorn a record $304 million in 2020, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Database shows that over the past three years, people have reported losing more money to dating scammers than any other type of fraud.