Dating or Defrauding? Protect Yourself Against Romance Scams With Help From the Government

According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), in 2020 alone, people who experienced romance scams lost over $600M. Romance scammers target people looking for love on dating apps and social media. But how can you tell the difference between dating or defrauding?

Explore the ‘Dating or Defrauding?’ landing page for more information.

Resources by Agency

About the Participating Agencies

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) oversees the nation’s commodity futures and other derivatives markets. Its mission is to promote the integrity, resilience, and vibrancy of the U.S. derivatives markets through sound regulation. The CFTC also has general enforcement authority when there is fraud or manipulation involved in a contract for sale or delivery of a commodity used in interstate commerce. 

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ​​aims to make consumer financial markets work for consumers, responsible providers, and the economy as a whole. CFPB protects consumers from unfair, deceptive, or abusive practices and takes action against companies that break the law. We arm people with the information, steps, and tools that they need to make smart financial decisions.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) ​​is an independent agency created by Congress to maintain stability and public confidence in the nation's financial system. The FDIC insures deposits; examines and supervises financial institutions for safety, soundness, and consumer protection; makes large and complex financial institutions resolvable; and manages receiverships. The FDIC urges consumers to stay current on the latest banking scams related to romance, fake banks, counterfeit checks, impostor scams, phishing, and identity theft. It is important for consumers to identify the risks of scams, learn how avoid them, so they can protect themselves and their finances.

The U.S. Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The mission of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network is to safeguard the financial system from illicit use, combat money laundering and its related crimes including terrorism, and promote national security through the strategic use of financial authorities and the collection, analysis, and dissemination of financial intelligence. 

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC is the nation’s primary consumer protection agency, with a broad mandate to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive acts or practices in the marketplace. The FTC also protects the public through education and outreach on consumer protection issues.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) works to strengthen border security and prevent the illegal movement of people, goods, and funds into, within, and out of the U.S. The financial investigations portfolio is extensive, and includes cases involving financial fraud, such as those involving vulnerable populations targeted by online romance scams.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is the federal law enforcement, crime prevention, and security arm of the U.S. Postal Service; our mission is to ensure public trust in the U.S. Mail. We support and protect the U.S. Postal Service and its employees, infrastructure, and customers by enforcing over 200 federal laws related to crimes that utilize the U.S. Mail. We defend our nation’s mail system from illegal or dangerous use and provide the highest quality of protection and investigative support to the U.S. Postal Service and its customers. This year’s romance scam initiative will highlight several different schemes, all with the goal to separate unsuspecting consumers from their money.

USAGov is your front door to government information and services and works to equalize government. Through a bilingual website, USA.gov and USAGov en Español, contact center and public-engagement channels, USAGov works on the idea that the public’s experience with the government should be easy, trusted and reliable. 

For more information about reporting scams, visit USA.gov. Subscribe to official emails. For quick alerts and updates, follow @USAGov on social media at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.