Love in the age of algorithms
As spring blooms and wedding season approaches, love is in the air — and in dating apps. Singles are swiping, chatting and hoping to find something real. But in a digital world where DMs replace first dates and algorithms spark connections, scammers are circling too.
Romance scams aren’t new. But fueled by artificial intelligence, they’re no longer just deceitful — they’re calculated, scalable and deeply personal. What once took hours of emotional manipulation can now be automated, translated and tailored in seconds.
AI hasn’t just changed how these crimes work. But, it has changed its reach.
At Gen, we refuse to accept this as the cost of connection.
The AI Scam Surge
According to the latest Norton Cyber Safety Insights Report, two in five people on dating apps report being targeted by scams. Of those, 41% have fallen victim. And our research with Norton Genie (our AI-powered scam detection tool and assistant) revealed an even more chilling trend: 60% of online daters believe they’ve chatted with someone whose messages were AI-generated. This isn’t speculation. This is reality.
In the U.S., we see that Congress is considering new measures to combat the rise of romance scams with the introduction of the Romance Scam Prevention Act (S.841 and H.R. 2481). If passed, it would:
- Require platforms to notify users exposed to flagged profiles
- Mandate investigations and suspensions of suspicious accounts within 24 hours
- Provide scam awareness resources directly to users
The proposed legislation follows previous efforts such as the Online Dating Safety Act of 2023. The latest proposal includes expanded provisions and would authorize enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), with violations subject to federal action.
Our Role: Tech Must Lead, Not Lag
At Gen, we try not to wait for mandates. We would rather lead with real-life solutions.
- We built Norton Genie to give people real-time answers when something feels off, no matter where that conversation started.
- We’ve conducted deep research into AI-enabled romance scams to understand how they work and evolve.
- And we believe platforms need education, transparency and user protection.
As romance scams evolve with AI, we must evolve our approach to protect consumers through smarter tools, better education and collaborative policy solutions.
This Fight Belongs to All of Us
This is not just a dating app problem. Romance scams thrive across texting platforms, email, gaming sites and social media feeds. Basically, anywhere people connect.
That’s why Gen joined the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA). Because protecting people from digital deception takes collaboration, not competition. Consumer safety is not a partisan issue — it’s a human one. We’re committed to empowering consumers by conducting in-depth scam research, educating users about potential threats, and working alongside policymakers and industry partners to better protect people from scams.
We believe in a future where technology empowers people, not preys on them. A future where we can connect without fear. Where love is honest, not engineered by a bot. Where trust is earned — and protected — by all of us.
Read more about our policy recommendations.
