TL;DR: The FBI's IC3 reported $672 million in romance and confidence-fraud losses in 2024, while Canada's Anti-Fraud Centre logged an additional $58.4 million in Canadian romance scam losses the same year.
The FBI's IC3 reported $672 million in romance and confidence-fraud losses in 2024, while Canada's Anti-Fraud Centre logged an additional $58.4 million in Canadian romance scam losses the same year.
What the Data Shows
Romance scams have among the highest average losses per victim of any fraud type, because they play out over weeks or months of relationship-building before money ever changes hands — by the time it's clear something is wrong, victims have often sent funds repeatedly.
Why This Matters
Numbers like these are a reminder that this isn’t a rare event — it’s a routine risk. Checking whether your own information has already been exposed takes 30 seconds and costs nothing.
If this looks similar to something else you've seen, it's worth reading Small Business Fraud Statistics 2026.
This pattern shows up elsewhere too — see Social Media Account Takeover Statistics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the numbers actually show?
The FBI's IC3 reported $672 million in romance and confidence-fraud losses in 2024, while Canada's Anti-Fraud Centre logged an additional $58.4 million in Canadian romance scam losses the same year.
What does this mean for you?
Romance scams have among the highest average losses per victim of any fraud type, because they play out over weeks or months of relationship-building before money ever changes hands — by the time it's clear something is wrong, victims have often sent funds repeatedly.
Where does this data come from?
This data is drawn from FBI IC3 – 2024 Internet Crime Report, a primary reporting source for fraud and identity theft data.