How Common Is Catfishing and Identity Fraud in Online Dating?
Americans reports being deceived by someone they met on a dating app
Pew Research Center, 2023
increase in identity fraud in online dating since 2022
FTC Consumer Sentinel Network, 2024
lost by Americans to romance scams in 2023 — the highest loss category reported to the FTC
FTC, 2024
adult dating app users say they've been matched with someone who used fake photos
Pew Research Center, 2023
romance scam complaints received by the FBI's IC3 in 2023 — likely an undercount
FBI IC3 2023 Annual Report
of catfishing victims say they felt early signs of deception but dismissed them
Social Catfish, 2024
Who Is Most at Risk on Dating Apps?
more likely for women than men to report feeling unsafe meeting a match for the first time
Pew Research Center, 2023
median loss per romance scam incident for adults over 50 — the highest of any age group
FTC, 2024
of LGBTQ+ daters report encountering someone who misrepresented their identity on a dating app
GLAAD, 2023
of single adults say they worry about the authenticity of profiles they see on dating apps
Pew Research Center, 2023
How Are People Verifying Dates Before They Meet?
of online daters say they Google someone before agreeing to meet in person
Pew Research Center, 2023
of daters have asked a friend or family member to check in during a first date
Match Group Safety Report, 2023
more confidence DateGuard users report going into a first date, compared to before using any verification tool
DateGuard user survey, 2026
of DateGuard users said they felt more comfortable agreeing to meet a match in person after using the app
DateGuard user survey, 2026
Only 22% of daters were aware that liveness detection technology exists in consumer dating safety apps before 2025. (Source: DateGuard user survey, 2026)
How Is Technology Changing Dating Safety?
Liveness detection — the technology that confirms a real person is present on a video call, not a photo or recording — is now available in consumer dating safety apps for the first time.
of dating app profiles are estimated to contain AI-generated (deepfake) photos
Sensity AI, 2024
DateGuard's system combines liveness detection, biometric photo matching, and public record cross-referencing in a single check
DateGuard.ai
What Does a Safe First-Date Preparation Look Like?
- Verify the person's identity using a third-party tool before agreeing to meet.
- Video call before meeting — and pay attention to whether the face matches the profile photos.
- Choose a public venue for the first meeting.
- Share your plans with a trusted friend or family member.
- Trust your instincts. Preparation is not pessimism — it is clarity.
DateGuard handles steps 1 and 2 automatically. See the full walkthrough in The First Date Safety Checklist.
Related reading: Want to understand exactly how identity verification works before a date? Read What Is Identity Verification for Dating? for a full breakdown of liveness detection, biometric matching, and public record cross-referencing.
More Dating Safety Resources
Definitions
What Is Identity Verification for Dating?
Checklist
The First Date Safety Checklist
Take Action
Try DateGuard Before Your Next Date
Frequently Asked Questions
1 in 3 Americans reports being deceived by someone they met on a dating app, according to Pew Research Center (2023). AI-generated fake profiles are estimated to appear in up to 10% of dating app profiles.
Americans lost $1.14 billion to romance scams in 2023, the highest loss category reported to the FTC that year. Adults over 50 had the highest median loss per incident at $9,000.
The most effective approach is to use an identity verification app like DateGuard, which uses liveness detection and biometric matching to confirm that a person is real and matches their profile photos. Additionally, video call before meeting, choose a public venue, and share your plans with a trusted friend.