Dating Safety Statistics & Sources
A careful reference to U.S. online-dating and romance-scam figures from the FTC, FBI IC3, and Pew Research Center. Each number keeps its original year, scope, and source.
1 in 10
partnered U.S. adults who said they met their current partner on a dating site or app
Pew Research Center — Online Dating in the U.S.How to read this page
FTC and FBI figures are based on reports or complaints received. They describe documented reporting, not the full prevalence of fraud or every loss that occurred.
The agencies use different collection systems and category definitions, so their totals should not be added together or treated as directly interchangeable.
Pew figures come from survey research and describe the U.S. population identified in the linked report. GuyID does not generalize these figures beyond that scope.
Last source review: July 2026.
Primary sources
Figures in context
The source, geography, year, and definition stay attached to every figure.
FTC romance-scam reports
United States · reports received in 2023
Source: FTC — 2023 romance-scam reports
total reported romance-scam losses
romance-scam reports received
median reported loss per person
highest reported losses among imposter-scam types — not among all consumer-fraud categories
FBI confidence/romance complaints
United States · IC3 complaints in 2024
Source: FBI IC3 — 2024 Annual Report
confidence/romance complaints received by IC3
reported losses associated with those complaints
Online dating in the U.S.
United States · Pew Research Center survey published in 2023
Source: Pew Research Center — Online Dating in the U.S.
of U.S. adults said they had ever used a dating site or app
of partnered U.S. adults said they met their current partner on a dating site or app
What these numbers can support
Romance scams produce substantial reported losses, and online dating is a common way for U.S. adults to meet people. Those facts support practical identity checks, deliberate first-meeting plans, and clear reporting channels.
They do not prove that deception is universal, that a particular person is unsafe, or that verification guarantees safety. GuyID tools help people organize context and ask better questions; they do not replace personal judgment or emergency services.
Turn context into a calmer next step
Explore 83 free tools for structured reflection, red-flag awareness, and safer first-meeting planning. Results are educational, not safety determinations.
About the Author
Ravi Shankar
Founder, GuyID · Principal Data Analyst · 13+ Years in Data Analytics
Ravi Shankar is the founder of GuyID and a Principal Data Analyst with over 13 years of experience in data and analytics. He built GuyID's suite of 83 free dating safety tools and curates plain-language guides that keep primary sources, limitations, and trust boundaries visible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does this data come from?
Every figure on this page is tied to a directly linked FTC, FBI IC3, or Pew Research Center source. The year and population are shown beside each group of figures.
Are these 2026 incident statistics?
No. This page was reviewed in July 2026, but every statistic keeps the reporting year used by its primary source. The newest source currently shown is the FBI IC3 2024 Annual Report.
Do reported losses represent all romance-scam losses?
No. FTC and FBI figures describe reports or complaints received by those agencies. They should not be presented as a complete estimate of every incident or loss.
Why is the preliminary GuyID survey not included?
GuyID is not presenting its preliminary convenience sample as population evidence. Survey results should return only with the questionnaire, denominators, recruitment dates, respondent characteristics, exclusions, and limitations published alongside them.
Are these figures global?
No. The figures on this page are U.S.-specific. They should not be generalized to other countries without a separate source.