Two U.S. senators are pressing for answers about online dating scams from Match Group, the parent of several popular online dating services including Tinder and OurTime.
In a letter Wednesday to Match Group CEO Spencer Rascoff, Sens. Maggie Hassan, New Hampshire Democrat, and Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee Republican, made eight requests for more information about the company’s algorithm, fraud-prevention policies and procedures to protect against fraudulent activity.
The cons usually involve the use of fake profiles to form online relationships and extract money or gifts from victims. These dating scams have become a “leading form of financial fraud” in the U.S., the senators write.
Indeed, the Federal Trade Commission reported that romance scams cost Americans $1.14 billion in 2024.
The prevalence of romance scams raises “concerns about whether and how Match Group protects users from fraud on its platforms,” the senators wrote.
Match Group, headquartered in Dallas, also owns and operates the dating sites Match.com, OkCupid, Hinge, Meetic and Plenty of Fish.
The senators recounted the company’s past transgressions, including a 2019 accusation from the FTC that Match Group knowingly exposed users to fraud. The FTC found that between 2013 and 2018, up to 30% of new Match.com members were scammers. Last month, the company agreed to pay $14 million to resolve the charges.
Match Group insists it is safeguarding customers.
“Protecting users from scams is essential to our business and to earning the trust people place in our platforms. In recent years, we have made significant investments in advanced fraud detection, cutting-edge safety features, and expanded partnerships with law enforcement, industry, and civil society groups to better safeguard our communities,” Yoel Roth, head of trust and safety at Match Group, said in a statement to The Washington Times.
“As a founding member of the Tech Against Scams Coalition, we are working across the industry to tackle these challenges. We look forward to constructive conversations with Senators Hassan and Blackburn on these important issues,” he said.
The Tech Against Scams Coalition, announced in May 2024, was founded to collaborate on ways to prevent online swindles. Members include some of the biggest names in social media, dating apps and digital finance, including Meta and the Global Anti-Scam Organization.
Romance con artists typically want to form a relationship as quickly as possible and decline meeting in person, according to the FBI. They will ask for money, such as to help pay medical expenses, and tell users how to pay.
The FTC recommends never sending cash, gift cards, wire transfers or cryptocurrency to an online love interest, and letting a friend know. Users should report suspected scams to the FTC, and those who fall victim to a scam should contact the dating app company or their bank immediately.
In the letter to Match Group, Ms. Hassan included a survey to document incidents for future oversight efforts.
The company’s Safety page also includes steps it has taken to help prevent and warn users of potential scams, including in-app features, education and pop-up messages, as well as AI tools to detect words and phrases.
The Joint Economic Committee’s Democrats announced a project in July to investigate and prevent financial scams.
Ms. Hassan and Ms. Blackburn, who are members of the Joint Economic Committee, gave Match Group until Oct. 15 to provide evidence of efforts to prevent fraud and cons across its platforms.
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