# Romance Scam Prevention Act Forces Dating Apps to Warn Users of Banned Accounts, Impacting Trust and Safety Strategies _The Romance Scam Prevention Act mandates dating apps to alert users of banned accounts within 24 hours, reshaping trust and safety protocols._ Source: https://highintentmedia.com/news/senate-passes-dating-app-scam-warning Author: High Intent Newsroom Published: 2026-09-25T06:00:00+00:00 Last updated: 2026-09-25T10:25:33.52665+00:00 Category: Policy ## Summary The Senate passed the Romance Scam Prevention Act, requiring dating apps to notify users within 24 hours if someone they messaged is banned for suspected fraud. This applies even if conversations moved off-platform. Dating apps have one year to comply, impacting trust and safety operations by mandating new notification systems and increasing regulatory scrutiny on scam prevention efforts. ## Key takeaways - Dating apps must notify users within 24 hours if a contact is banned for suspected fraud. - Notifications are required even if conversations moved to other messaging platforms. - Platforms have one year to implement these changes after the bill is signed. - The FTC and state attorneys general will enforce the new notification requirements. - This legislation increases scrutiny on dating companies' scam prevention strategies. ## FAQ ### What does the Romance Scam Prevention Act require dating apps to do? The Act requires dating apps to notify users within 24 hours if someone they messaged is later banned for suspected fraud. This includes cases where conversations have moved off the dating app to other services like WhatsApp or Telegram, ensuring users are warned about potential scams even after leaving the platform. ### What is the implementation timeline for the new law and who enforces it? Dating platforms will have one year to comply with the Romance Scam Prevention Act once it is signed into law. Enforcement will be handled by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), with state attorneys general also having the ability to take action against violations, which are treated as violations of the FTC Act. ### Why was the Romance Scam Prevention Act passed? The Act was passed to address a critical gap in current fraud prevention measures, specifically ensuring users receive timely warnings about suspicious accounts even after moving conversations off-platform. It aims to protect dating app users from romance scams and reflects widespread bipartisan concern about this growing problem in the United States. ### How might this act affect dating app operations and trust and safety strategies? This act will require dating apps to develop new systems and processes to identify banned accounts and notify affected users within 24 hours. It increases regulatory scrutiny on platforms' scam prevention measures and how they handle fraudulent accounts, potentially influencing their trust and safety investments and transparency regarding scam statistics. - The Senate unanimously passed the Romance Scam Prevention Act on September 23, requiring dating apps to warn users about suspected fraud. - Dating platforms must notify users within 24 hours if someone they messaged is later banned for suspected fraud. - The bill gives dating platforms one year to comply, with enforcement handled by the FTC and state attorneys general. - The legislation addresses cases where users move conversations off dating apps to services like WhatsApp or Telegram. Dating apps across the United States may soon be required to alert users when they have been communicating with someone later banned for suspected fraud. The Romance Scam Prevention Act passed the Senate by unanimous consent and now awaits President Donald Trump's signature. This landmark legislation aims to protect dating app users from romance scams by ensuring they receive timely warnings about suspicious accounts. Person using dating app on smartphone ## How the New Notification System Works The bill would require dating platforms to contact users who received messages from an account that is later banned for suspected fraud. In most cases, the warning would have to be sent within 24 hours. This could help people who have already moved their conversation from a dating app to WhatsApp, Telegram or another service and would otherwise have no way of knowing that the original account had been banned. The notification requirement addresses a critical gap in current fraud prevention measures. Once users take their conversations off the original platform, they lose the protective oversight that dating apps provide. The mandatory warnings will ensure that users can be alerted to potential scams even after they have left the platform. > This could help people who have already moved their conversation from a dating app to WhatsApp, Telegram or another service and would otherwise have no way of knowing that the original account had been banned. ## Legislative Journey and Bipartisan Support The legislation was introduced in the House by Representative David Valadao in March 2025. Senators Marsha Blackburn and John Hickenlooper introduced their own version in the Senate around the same time. Both bills focused on the same issue: making sure dating app users are told when someone they have been communicating with is removed for suspected fraud. Dating app profiles on mobile device The bipartisan nature of the legislation demonstrates widespread concern about romance scams in the United States. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle recognized the need for stronger protections for dating app users. The unanimous passage in the Senate reflects the urgency and importance of addressing this growing problem. ## Increased Scrutiny of Dating Platform Companies Blackburn later turned her attention directly to Match Group. In September 2025, she and Senator Maggie Hassan wrote to CEO Spencer Rascoff asking how the company identifies and removes suspected scammers across Tinder, Hinge, Match, Plenty of Fish and OkCupid. They also asked how many users interact with fraudulent accounts, how Match's recommendation algorithms work, how much it spends on trust and safety, and whether it generates revenue from suspected scam accounts or users interacting with them. > They also asked how many users interact with fraudulent accounts, how Match's recommendation algorithms work, how much it spends on trust and safety, and whether it generates revenue from suspected scam accounts or users interacting with them. This scrutiny highlights concerns about whether dating platforms are doing enough to protect their users. The questions posed to Match Group suggest that lawmakers want transparency about the scale of the fraud problem. Understanding how dating apps handle scammers is essential for evaluating whether current measures are sufficient. Couple meeting through online dating ## Implementation Timeline and Enforcement If the Romance Scam Prevention Act is signed into law, dating platforms would have one year to comply. The Federal Trade Commission would be responsible for enforcing the new requirements, with state attorneys general also able to take action. The bill does not set a specific dollar fine for breaking the rules. Violations would instead be treated as violations of the FTC Act. This approach gives regulators flexibility in determining appropriate penalties based on the severity of non-compliance. Dating platforms will need to develop systems and processes to identify banned accounts and notify affected users within the required timeframe. ### Key Takeaways - Dating app users will receive 24-hour notifications when someone they messaged is banned for suspected fraud, even if conversations moved to other platforms. - Dating platforms have one year to implement notification systems once the law is signed, with FTC and state-level enforcement. - The legislation represents growing bipartisan concern about romance scams and increased scrutiny of how dating companies handle fraudulent accounts. Published by High Intent (High Intent Media Inc). Citation permitted with a link to the source URL above.