Congress sends dating-app fraud-notification requirement to president

WASHINGTON — Congress has sent the Romance Scam Prevention Act to the president after the Senate passed a bill requiring online dating services to warn users when an account that messaged them is later banned for fraud.

The Senate passed H.R. 2481 by unanimous consent on Sept. 23, after the House passed it by voice vote on June 23, 2025. Unanimous consent is a Senate procedure used when no senator objects. The Senate passed the House-approved bill without amendment.

The measure would create a federal consumer-protection requirement for dating websites and mobile apps. If a service bans an account for fraud, it must notify a member who received a message from that account. The notice must identify the banned profile and give the most recent time the recipient sent or received a message involving that profile. It also must warn that the banned member may have used a false identity or tried to defraud users.

The notice must tell the user not to send cash, other currency or personal financial information to another member. It also must include information about avoiding online fraud and contact information for the service's customer-service department. The notice must be clear and conspicuous and generally be sent by email or text message within 24 hours after the ban begins. A provider can take up to three days when it judges that circumstances require a delay; it must delay longer if a law enforcement official requests it for an ongoing investigation.

The Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, would enforce the requirement. State attorneys general also could bring civil enforcement actions on behalf of residents, subject to notice provisions involving the FTC. The bill says providers are not liable to a member, banned member or former member for a claim based on actions taken to comply with the notification requirement.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., argued for the bill on the Senate floor, saying, “each year, Americans lose roughly $1.3 billion to online romance scams” and that the victims are “overwhelmingly senior citizens.” She also said scammers are often part of transnational criminal organizations that traffic people into fraud operations and use AI and other technology. Those statements are Blackburn's arguments; the congressional floor statement alone does not independently verify the loss estimate, the demographic claim, trafficking patterns or the use of AI.

Supporters may view the notices as an early warning that could reach a user before money is sent. Dating services and consumer advocates may raise questions about how accurately platforms can identify fraud, the risk of mistaken bans or alerts, privacy and whether a notice sent after a ban will arrive before a user transfers money or financial information. The bill takes effect one year after enactment.