GLOBAL NEWS – A new survey from TransUnion found that 11.9% of Canadian respondents reported suspected digital fraud attempts in online communities such as dating platforms and forums, above the global average of 8.1% and up 63% YOY. TransUnion also noted growing use of generative AI and deepfake technology in these scams. According to the survey, stolen credit cards and fraudulent charges were the most commonly reported fraud issues among Canadians at 26%, compared with a global average of 19%.
CAL MATTERS – A proposed California bill would require dating apps to run criminal background checks and flag users convicted of violent crimes, domestic violence, assault, hate crimes, or those on the sex offender registry. The measure follows reports of sexual violence linked to dating apps, including a survey where more than a third of women said they were assaulted by someone they met online. Critics say it could harm privacy and require extensive data collection to avoid misidentification. The bill has passed a Senate committee and may be revised before moving forward.
USA TODAY – Organized online romance scams now extract massive sums: ~11,200 victims lost ~$398M in Q3 2025 alone (median loss ~$2,218), and total reported losses reached ~$1.16B in the first nine months of 2025, with some individuals losing six-figure savings. Criminal groups cultivate relationships for months via social media and messaging apps, then request money through gift cards, wires, or crypto, increasingly reinforced by AI-generated photos, voices, and video; once funds are sent, recovery is rare, so the only reliable safeguard is to cut off contact the moment a new online partner asks for money or financial information.
PPC LAND – A 2025 Verve survey of 4K U.S. and U.K. users shows dating-app privacy behavior shifting: people are less willing to share identity data such as names, phone numbers, and emails, but more willing to share location and even health details because those improve matching. Over half of users now refuse to share any personal data at all, mainly due to breach and hacking fears after repeated security incidents. Women and younger users are the most cautious. The trend creates a problem for dating platforms, which need identity information for verification, safety, and payments, but face declining trust in how they handle it.
THE INDEPENDENT – A new UK law makes cyberflashing a priority offence under the Online Safety Act, forcing dating and social platforms to proactively detect and block unsolicited nude images. Regulators, including Ofcom, can fine non-compliant companies up to 10% of global revenue or block services. The move shifts responsibility from users to platforms, with Bumble cited as an early example through its AI-based nudity detection. The goal is to significantly improve online safety, particularly for women and girls.
BAR AND BENCH – Dating apps often continue tracking users even after accounts are deleted through cookies, SDKs, shadow profiles, cross-app identifiers, and third-party data sharing. India’s new Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act) and the 2025 Rules directly challenge these practices by enforcing rights such as mandatory data erasure, purpose-limited processing, stronger security standards, restricted cross-border transfers, and heavy penalties for violations. Under the new law, dating platforms must justify and minimise any retained data, improve transparency, and overhaul vague retention policies.
OFCOM – Ofcom is phasing in the UK’s Online Safety Act through 2027, creating a full regulatory system that makes online platforms legally responsible for tackling illegal content, protecting children, improving age-verification, publishing transparency reports, and strengthening terms of service. They’ve already issued key rules on illegal harms and child safety, and the next steps include new guidance for protecting women and girls, requirements for handling data about deceased children, super-complaints, accredited technologies for detecting child sexual abuse and terrorism content, media-literacy standards, and extra duties for major platforms (like controls for fraudulent ads, ID verification, and protections for journalism and democratic content). By 2027, major services will need to comply fully, publish public safety reports, meet stricter enforcement standards, and possibly even face new requirements for app stores and expanded priority offences such as cyberflashing and self-harm encouragement.
BITDEFENDER – The FBI is warning that scammers are tricking people on dating apps into fake “verification” checks that look legitimate but are actually traps. After gaining someone’s trust, the scammer asks them to verify their identity on a separate site for safety reasons. That site asks for personal details and credit card information, then secretly signs the victim up for monthly subscriptions to fake dating services. Victims often discover the fraud only when mystery charges appear on their credit card. These scams not only steal money but also personal information that can be sold or used for identity theft.
LINKEDIN – Match Group has launched The Unbreaking Project with Kate Kleinert, who experienced a romance scam and now works to protect others, together with Advocating Against Romance Scammers and the Center for Combating Elder Financial Abuse. The initiative helps law enforcement handle romance scams more effectively and provides emotional and practical support for victims. It offers free virtual training, survivor care packages, and education to help prevent future scams.
PYMNTS – Reports of romance fraud in the UK rose 9% in 2024–2025, costing victims ~106M, according to a new review by the Financial Conduct Authority. The FCA said banks, payment firms, and online platforms must step up detection and prevention, as 85% of such scams begin online. It urged greater user education, stronger anti-fraud systems, and closer cooperation between financial and digital platforms to curb losses.
