February 12, 2026 3 Min Read PRESS RELEASE Romance scams are often seen as the most shameful type of fraud to fall victim to. A new survey commissioned by the identity theft protection service NordProtect reveals that 55% of Americans who lost money to romance scammers believe it is less shameful to fall victim to other types of scams than romance scams. Moreover, almost a fifth of victims didn't even report the incident. “Romance scams are particularly effective because criminals exploit deep human needs and vulnerabilities while relying on specific strategies — building trust and emotional dependency, playing on loneliness, hope, and the desire for companionship. The feeling of shame emerges as victims become attached to another person, only to have their dignity and self-confidence shattered instead. In this context, even financial loss becomes less important in some cases,” says Tomas Sinicki, managing director at NordProtect . Who should be especially vigilant While 15% of respondents reported losing money to romance scams, the number of men who lost money to romance scammers is nearly twice that of women: 19% of male respondents became victims of romance scams, compared to only 11% of women. Romance scam attacks are usually conducted using fake personas on social media. Research shows that 71% of men noticed fraudulent accounts while looking for romantic relationships, while only 55% of women did. Moreover, 75% of men between 35–44 years old noticed fraudulent profiles on digital dating platforms. This suggests that men, especially the ones in this specific age group, are more frequently targeted by romance scammers. Lost money and don't care Another worrying sign is that victims of romance scams not only hesitate to talk about their experiences but also fail to report incidents to relevant institutions — as many as 19% of romance scam victims did not report the incidents. Moreover, the number of victims that tend to underreport romance scams among those who lost smaller amounts is even higher and reaches 26% compared to those who lost over $2,000. “Since romance scams are an emotional type of crime, and for most victims the emotional damage is a higher priority than financial loss, reporting these crimes remains important as it helps strengthen prevention and protect other people,” says Sinicki. Nevertheless, the survey also shows that victims don't know exactly where to report incidents. The most popular places to report romance scams were banks or credit card issuers (27%), family and friends (26%), and local police (21%). Experts advise reporting romance scam incidents to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) (currently only 16% of cases are reported there), Federal Trade Commission (9%), financial institutions and credit card issuers, dating platforms or social media channels (19%), and local police. Methodology The survey was commissioned by NordProtect and conducted by Cint on 14-24 January 2026. The survey’s target group was online users in the United States of America aged 18-65. The number of respondents was 2,078. Quotas were placed on age, gender, and place of residence. About NordProtect NordProtect is a comprehensive identity theft protection service designed to keep users' identity safe. With features like 24/7 dark web monitoring, credit activity tracking and security alerts, users can stay informed about potential threats and take action to protect themselves right away. Additionally, NordProtect helps users to get financial help and expert support if they fall victim to identity theft, cyber extortion or online fraud. For more information: www.nordprotect.com