New federal law forces dating apps to warn users about banned scammers

The Senate approved the bipartisan Romance Scam Prevention Act without opposition, and President Donald Trump enacted it this week. The legislation compels online dating sites to issue alerts within 24 hours to anyone who has communicated with a profile that has been banned for fraudulent activity. Alerts must name the fraudulent account, note the most recent contact date, and caution users against transferring money or sharing financial information, while also offering fraud-prevention tools and support contacts.

The law targets the surge in romance scams that cost Americans over $1.3 billion last year, a rise of at least 14 percent. Enforcement responsibilities will be divided between the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general, and the rule will become operational next year. The act follows high-profile cases such as a serial scammer who stole nearly $300,000 from a Bumble user and the recent launch of a background-check service by PeopleFinders.