The House Committee on Energy and Commerce has advanced H.R. 2481, known as the Romance Scam Prevention Act, following a full committee markup. This bipartisan legislation was introduced by Congressman David Valadao from California, along with Representatives Brittany Petterson, Tom Suozzi, and Craig Goldman. It seeks to mandate dating apps and services to alert users who may have interacted with a person banned from the app for fraudulent activities.
In the Senate, the companion bill was introduced by Senators Marsha Blackburn and John Hickenlooper and had passed out of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on March 12, 2025.
“Millions of Americans use online dating services to make connections, making them the perfect platform for romance scammers to target their victims,” Congressman Valadao expressed. He emphasized that “alerting users that they have been in contact with someone who has been banned for fraud is a basic security feature that will save Americans billions, and I’m proud to lead this effort alongside my Congressional colleagues. I want to thank Chairman Brett Guthrie and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce for their attention to this critical issue.”
In 2023, over 60 million Americans participated in online dating services, with the Federal Trade Commission reporting over $1.1 billion in losses due to romance scams. These scams often involve criminals using false identities to extract sensitive information from unsuspecting individuals. Dating services deactivate accounts of fraudulent users when illegal activities are detected, yet victims can remain unknowingly in contact through other communication platforms.
For those who have encountered suspicious profiles on online dating services, filing a report with the FTC is encouraged.
