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Soulmate or scammer?: Fraud from romance scams hits record numbers during pandemic

A couple makes a heart with their hands on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, 2020. (Mahesh Kumar A./AP)
A couple makes a heart with their hands on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, 2020. (Mahesh Kumar A./AP)

Every year millions of people sign up for online dating sites hoping to find a meaningful connection. But for some, the person on the other end is a scammer.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, in the past three years, people have reported losing more money to romance scams than any other type of fraud. And during 2020, the first year of the pandemic, reported losses for romance scams hit a new record: $304 million.

Michelle Singletary, personal finance columnist for The Washington Post, tells us more.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.