Romance Scam Prevention Act

The law gives dating-app users timely information to avoid romance scams and creates a single national notice standard.

What the law does ​

• Requires services to identify the banned profile and recent exchange, explain the possible fraud risk, discourage sending money or financial information, and provide prevention guidance and customer support details.
• Requires clear, prominent warnings generally within 24 hours, with limited delays for circumstances or law-enforcement investigations.
• Protects providers from liability for actions taken to comply.
• Authorizes enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission and state officials while limiting overlapping federal and state cases.
• Takes effect one year after enactment and preserves state contract and tort laws.

Who it affects ​

• Online dating services.
• Dating-service members who exchanged messages with accounts later suspended or banned for significant financial fraud risk.
• Federal and state enforcement officials.

Breakdown ​

Romance Scam Prevention Act ​

The Romance Scam Prevention Act requires online dating services to warn members who exchanged messages with someone later suspended or banned for a significant risk of financial fraud. It sets the content and timing of those warnings, protects providers from liability for issuing them, and authorizes federal and state enforcement. The requirements take effect one year after enactment.

Key takeaways

• Online dating services must notify a member who exchanged messages with a person whose account was suspended or terminated because the provider found a significant risk of attempted financial fraud.
• The warning must identify the banned profile and most recent message exchange, describe the possible fraud risk, advise against sharing money or financial information, provide fraud-prevention guidance, and include customer service contact information.
• Providers generally must send a clear and prominent warning within 24 hours, but may delay it for up to three days based on the circumstances or longer when requested by law enforcement for an ongoing investigation.
• Online dating services are protected from liability for actions taken to comply with the notification requirements.
• The Federal Trade Commission and authorized state officials may enforce the law, subject to limits that prevent overlapping state actions while a related federal case is pending.
• The Act creates a single national standard for these notices while preserving state contract and tort laws.