In Letter to Operator of Dating Apps Including Hinge, Tinder, and OKCupid, Senators Urge Action Against Romance Scams Across the Company’s Dating Platforms
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Joint Economic Committee, and Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy and member of the Joint Economic Committee, today pushed Match Group, the operator of a number of major dating apps, including Hinge, Tinder, and OKCupid, to provide information about romance scams on its platforms. Romance scams, in which fraudsters form relationships to induce money or gifts from victims, have become a leading form of financial fraud in the United States and cost Americans at least $1.3 billion annually. Match Group’s platforms are used by nearly half of all online dating users in the United States, and more than half of all users believe they have encountered a scammer. In the letter, the Senators asked the company for information about its efforts to detect scammers on its platforms, crack down on fraudulent usage, and protect users.
“Romance scams are robbing Americans of millions of dollars every year, and taking a devastating emotional toll in the process,” said Senator Hassan. “The companies operating dating apps must be honest with the public about the extent to which these scammers have infiltrated their platforms and must do more to protect their users from fraud.”
“Match Group’s platforms have become a breeding ground for bad actors who prey on vulnerable Americans, especially seniors who have lost their life savings because of scams,” said Senator Blackburn. “Despite public promises to improve safety, the company’s practices and algorithmic design raise serious concerns about whether it’s truly protecting users. We’re asking for answers and transparency to ensure these platforms are not enabling bad actors.”
Senator Hassan is pushing for answers from Match Group as a part of her major effort to protect Americans from financial scams, which eclipsed $1 trillion in stolen money worldwide last year. Earlier this summer, Senator Hassan sent a letter to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, pushing his company to prevent transnational criminal groups from using its Starlink satellite internet service to scam Americans. Senator Hassan released an issue brief outlining the massive impact that scams have on the economy, underscoring the importance of tackling them, and previewing her upcoming investigations into major drivers of scams. She also launched a public survey, located HERE, for people to send information in about scams that they have experienced, to help guide her investigative work.
Click here to read Senator Hassan and Blackburn’s letter to Match Group.