The number of these romance scams reported to the agency jumped from 8,500 in 2015 to more than 21,000 in 2018. The median reported loss for victims was $2,600, about seven times more than other fraud tracked by the FTC. Romance scams vary but criminals typically find their victims online though dating sites or social media. But FTC data found reported romance scams happened most often to those in the 40 to 69 age group. Reporting will help law enforcement track down criminals and sometimes help victims move on with their lives.

Source: CBC News February 13, 2019 20:48 UTC