The Courier-Journal (Louisville)
Fla. among riskiest states in the US for online dating
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Most people who use online dating sites hope for new romance and to find a long-term partner.
At the same time, bad actors are lurking behind computer screens for a chance to scam those looking for a date.
And according to a recent study from Privacy Journal, a website that offers advice on online security and privacy, dates are more likely to go wrong in Florida than in just about any other state in the country.
The website’s recent research into romance scams, identity theft and more put Florida fourth among the most dangerous states for online dating in the U.S.
Using data from the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Census Bureau and other sources, Privacy Journal looked at numbers from 100 cities in the U.S.
Using six factors – romance scam reports, identity theft reports, fraud reports, registered sex offenders, sexually transmitted disease incidence and violent crime rates — and calculating the rate of each factor per 100,000 people, the website ranked each state from safest to most dangerous.
According to Privacy Journal, “Florida is the second-worst state in the country for both identity theft and fraud, and the seventh worst for becoming a victim of romance scams.”
“Florida already has a bad reputation thanks to the Florida Man meme, and our numbers for online dating risk factors don’t help the situation,” it added.
Ranked 47th overall, only three other states are more dangerous than Florida for online daters, according to the website: Georgia, Alaska and Nevada.
Florida’s violent crime rate, however, is one of the lowest.
Vermont ranks safest for online dating, according to the study. It has the
“second-lowest rate of reported identity theft and the lowest rate of STDs, and it ranks in the bottom 10 for violent crime and fraud.”
According to Privacy Journal, there are recognizable patterns and behavior that online daters should look out for to avoid getting scammed.
After reviewing around 400 romance scam reports submitted to the Better Business Bureau in 2023 and 2024, the website determined these patterns to be:
Persistent requests for money: Romance scammers use a fake relationship, almost always online, to extort money from their targets. Scammers usually claim they need money for a sympathetic reason that exploits the target’s feelings for them.
Excuses to not meet: Maintaining a false identity is much easier online than in real life. To maintain their illusions, romance scammers prefer to work from other states or countries and may even refuse to video chat.
Elaborate storytelling: Romance scam artists are great at fabricating complex backstories that make victims more likely to send money.
Secrecy and isolation: To keep the target’s friends or family members from catching on, scammers discourage their victims from telling others about the relationship.