Alarming number of Americans scammed out of life savings have one thing in common, prompting lawmaker response

EXCLUSIVE: As romance scams are on the rise, a bipartisan group of lawmakers is introducing new legislation aimed at holding accountable those who seek to defraud retirees and steal their hard-earned savings.U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., and Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., introduced the Romance Scam Prevention Act, which would require dating apps and services to issue fraud ban notifications to users who have interacted with a person removed from the app.The move came as Americans are more than ever connected thanks to social media and dating apps that allow us to stay in touch with old friends all over the world and to develop new relationships online.As Americans increasingly go online in search of relationships, scammers are following suit. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), in 2022 almost 70,000 people reported being victims of a romance scam.ROMANCE SCAMS ON THE RISE AS AMERICANS LOOK TO DATING APPS FOR LOVE: 5 TIPS TO PROTECT YOURSELFPeople aged 40 to 69 are the most likely to report losing money due to a romance scam, and people 70 and older reported the highest individual median losses at $9,475, according to the FTC.Blackburn said that the bipartisan legislation would put “critical safeguards” in place to protect app users. The senator highlighted that in 2023, Tennesseans over the age of 60 lost $43 million due to scams targeting the elderly.”Scammers are merciless in their exploitation of senior citizens who join dating apps to establish meaningful connections but instead end up losing their life savings to con artists who prey on their vulnerabilities,” she said.READ THE BILL TEXT: MOBILE USERS CLICK HEREThe bill requires online dating service providers to notify members if they’ve communicated with someone whose account has been banned for fraudulent activity. The notification must include the banned member’s profile details and a warning that the banned member might be attempting fraud, such as requesting money.HOW TO NOT FALL IN LOVE WITH AI-POWERED ROMANCE SCAMMERSThe bill is enforceable by the FTC and allows state attorneys general to bring civil actions on behalf of affected residents. It also ensures that no state law can interfere with the process of fraud ban notifications.”This bipartisan, bicameral bill provides transparency, empowers users to make informed decisions, and reinforces best practices to prevent online scams,” Valadao said. “I’m proud to help lead the effort to make online dating safer and protect Americans of all ages from financial fraud.”One such scam was recently uncovered by Las Vegas authorities in February. The Romance Scam Prevention Act would guard citizens from suspects like 43-year-old Aurora Phelps.”Phelps would meet older men on dating websites or services, then meet them in-person. It was part of her scheme to drug the older men to gain unauthorized access to and steal money from their financial accounts to personally benefit herself and her family members,” prosecutors said.Phelps was charged with 21 counts, including seven counts of wire fraud; three counts of mail fraud; six counts of bank fraud; three counts of identity theft; one count of kidnapping; and one count of kidnapping resulting in death, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada said in a statement.If convicted on all counts, Phelps, who was taken into custody in Mexico, could face a maximum of life in prison.Though she’s only charged in one death, an indictment said that at least two men she met and scammed died.In romance scams, a criminal uses a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim.The rise of romance scams led U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to provide practical tips for people to avoid being taken advantage of. More information about the department’s efforts to help older Americans is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage, elderjustice.gov. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints can be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, at www.ovc.gov.