Two scams cost a widow more than $700,000 after fraudsters targeted her search for companionship.
Here's what to know
According to Tech Times, the widow's Tinder match allegedly used fabricated emergencies to persuade her to send him money. The man, who claimed to be a New Jersey resident, told her he had trouble on an oil rig, detention in Mexico, and a cardiac emergency.
She realized she was being deceived and tried to recover her money.
A different group that said it could help her get the money back then drew her into a cryptocurrency scam, bringing her total losses to more than $700,000.
For the widow, the losses were also more than financial.
"A romance scam takes more than money, there are wounds nobody sees," she said, per the Tech Times. "You question every conversation, every promise you believed. Some lose savings, homes, and futures. Some lose faith in love somehow."
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
More background
The widow spoke with the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee as part of a recently released investigation into romance scams on Tinder, Hinge, and Match, which fall under the Match Group platforms.
There is no clear proof that artificial intelligence was used to target the widow, according to the Tech Times. However, U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, a ranking member of the committee, warned AI is making fraud harder to take on. "We are seeing scams just explode as AI has developed and become more and more effective," she told The Washington Post.
According to the investigation, most of the machine-learning systems Tinder used to identify scammers and other bad actors had gone years without an update. Between May 2024 and December 2025, scam profile views leaped by nearly 700%.
In the first nine months of 2025, almost 1.5 million accounts belonging to scammers or other bad actors across Tinder and Hinge matched with one or more U.S. users. Close to 500,000 of those accounts shared contact details with another user.
What's being done?
Match Group disputed aspects of the investigation and pointed to Face Check. The feature, which requires new users to confirm their identity with a video selfie, became available on Tinder across the United States in early December 2025, according to Tech Times.
The company told the committee that Face Check reduced U.S. Tinder users' interactions with scammers, bots, and other bad actors by more than 70%. That reduction continued for at least seven months. Meanwhile, its AI model, launched during the first half of the year, reviews profiles and other information for signs of scams and suspicious accounts.
"Trust and safety is a foundational priority, and we intend to continue leading the industry in building tools that promote authentic, safe connections," said Yoel Roth, Match Group's senior vice president of trust and safety, per the Tech Times.
People using dating apps can take precautions such as checking profile photographs, verifying identities, and being wary of requests for money.
Where can I learn more?
These stories involve dating-site deception, Social Security losses, gift-card requests, a football impersonator, and an AI-generated romantic partner.
• A 77-year-old widower was promised a share of $700,000 in a dating-site scam.
• A Florida woman's online romance scam left her losing $130 a month from Social Security.
• A mother's supposed U.K. pilot romance led to secret Apple card requests.
• In Oregon, a fake 49ers player allegedly used dating profiles to obtain $1.3 million.
• In Brazil, a bricklayer sold everything for romance, then discovered the woman was AI.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
