'Romance Scamming' Stats: $50.4 Mn Losses From Online Dating Scams

Here is a brand new category of stats - romance scamming. Well, not brand new, after all. The scam is simple: build n online profile on some dating website, build a relationship with someone for an extended timeframe, and then ask for money. We spotted this stat today: "In 2011, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center received 5,600 complaints from victims of so-called "romance scammers" -- criminals who scan online dating sites, chat rooms and social networking sites for potential victims. The victims reported collective losses of $50.4 million, which is likely only a fraction of the actual losses since many victims are too embarrassed to file a report, the FBI said." (Source)

How do we digest this number? The actual number would be much bigger than this - but this number is an indicative number, that proves, among other things, online dating is full of the same challenges that existed 5-10 years ago. Anonymity is a boon in many scenarios, and online dating is definitely one such scenario.