With the holiday season here, more people will spend time on dating apps.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, online romance scams have victimized 59,000 Americans to a cost of $697.3
An analysis by brokerage and forex experts at BrokerChooser found that online searches for “am I being catfished” soared by 110% over the past month.
Florida was the 8th most ‘catfished’ state for those looking for love, with the average victim losing $25,707 to fake lovers.
Age Groups:
70- to 79-year-olds are the most vulnerable to love bombing. A staggering 68% of victims in this age group suffered financial loss, handing over a shocking $84,454,544 to romance scammers, with a median loss of $10,000.
Baby Boomers aged 60 to 79 accounted for around 53% of all romance scam losses across age groups. A staggering 68% of victims in this age group suffered financial loss to scammers, with a median loss of $10,000.
Younger Boomers are not off the hook. 65% of this group reported financial losses. Young adults aged 20 to 29 are the third most at-risk. With an average modest median loss of $500.
Millennials aged 30 to 39 follow closely, with more than half (51.5%) of victims in this age group experiencing financial losses. The median loss of $1,299.
Despite having one of the fewest reports at 31 per million people, over-80s face the highest median loss: $12,000, which is a whopping 1,233% higher than the median loss for Millennials and Gen Z on average.
Arizona, Alaska, and Wyomingare the top catfishing hotspots in the US
