Dating apps must now warn you when someone you messaged is banned for fraud, under new federal law
President signed the Romance Scam Prevention Act into law on October 20, 2026, creating a new federal requirement for online dating websites and apps. Introduced by Representative David Valadao in March 2025, the measure cleared Congress and became Public Law 119-129.
The law requires an online dating service provider to send a user a "fraud ban notification" if that user received a message through the service from a member who is later banned for suspected fraud. Under the law, a "fraud ban" means the provider suspended or terminated an account because, in the provider's judgment, there is a significant risk the member would try to get money from another member through fraudulent means.
The notification must tell the user several things: the banned member's username or other profile identifier, along with the most recent time the two exchanged a message; a statement that the banned member may have been using a false identity or trying to defraud members; a warning that the user should not send cash, other currency, or personal financial information to another member; information on best practices for avoiding online fraud, which can be a link or disclosure; and contact information for the provider's customer service department.
The law also sets deadlines. The notification must be clear and conspicuous and be sent by email, text message, or another means the user has agreed to. In general, the provider must send it within 24 hours after the fraud ban is initiated, though that can stretch to three days if the provider judges the circumstances require it, and it can be delayed further at the request of a law enforcement official conducting an ongoing investigation.
Enforcement runs through the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general. A violation is treated as an unfair or deceptive act or practice under the Federal Trade Commission Act, which the FTC enforces with its existing powers. A state attorney general may also sue on behalf of a state's residents in federal court, generally after notifying the FTC. The law provides a safe harbor so that a provider is not liable to a member, banned member, or former member for a claim based on its action to comply with the notification requirement. It also sets a single national standard, barring states from imposing their own conflicting rules on how providers notify users about fraud bans.
The requirement does not take effect immediately. The law states that it takes effect one year after the date of enactment.
The House committee that handled the bill reported it favorably. In its report, the Committee on Energy and Commerce said H.R. 2481 requires online dating service providers to provide fraud ban notifications to users, citing the toll of romance scams, which federal figures have put at hundreds of millions of dollars in consumer losses each year. The Senate Commerce Committee's report on the companion bill said compliance costs are expected to be minimal and that the notifications would serve to combat and reduce financial losses from romance scams.
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