The big day is just around the corner, Valentine's Day. More of us are choosing to find the right person online or through apps making us more vulnerable to dating scams. KRPS's Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.
Even before the pandemic, millions of Americans used dating apps. In 2021, Tinder ranked first by downloads in the US, generating 15 million users, followed by Bumble with 8.5 million downloads.
According to a Millennial Dating App study conducted in April 2020, 31% of respondents said they relied on online dating more than before the pandemic. With Valentine's Day next week, Pamela Hernanez of the Better Business Business Bureau says they've seen a rise in complaints tied to increased online dating.
"We saw a 13% increase in 2021 of reports of romance scams from 2020. There are about 276 reports to BBB Scamtracker of these romance scams where there's variations of. You've heard of something called catfishing. There's a scam called The Sugar Daddy scam"
Most romance scams start with fake profiles created by stealing photos and text from real accounts. Scammers often claim to be in the military or working overseas. The scammer builds a fake relationship, exchanging photos and romantic messages, even talking on the phone or through a webcam.
