Romance scams in Montana: How to protect yourself from online fraud
Generalreportedbillions/targetsfeelingbetrayed anddrained; sourcedmultiple-caseclaimsnotindependentclinicalverificationorMontana-onlyamount.
Prevention & supportData from The GDELT Project · Reviewed and interpreted by RSRC
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The chart uses every search filter above and all matching records, across every results page. The percentage denominator is all included URLs in the same dates, before theme, language, country or text filters.
Distinct included URLs matching these filters in each observation month. Select a point to explore its records. On small screens, scroll the chart horizontally.
A URL counts once per month and can appear in several months or themes. Themes describe the current record assessment; months show URL observations, not when events or each claim first appeared. Warnings, allegations and reported experiences are all included when coded. Partial months, collection gaps and changes in sources affect both measures. A higher share does not establish a higher risk to victims.
Read the graph as a table
| Observation month | Matching URLs | All included URLs | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2025 | 352 | 591 | 59.6% |
| Feb 2025 | 489 | 1,629 | 30.0% |
| Mar 2025 | 209 | 561 | 37.3% |
| Apr 2025 | 162 | 390 | 41.5% |
| May 2025 | 232 | 398 | 58.3% |
| Jun 2025 | 86 | 209 | 41.1% |
| Jul 2025 | 272 | 522 | 52.1% |
| Aug 2025 | 253 | 447 | 56.6% |
| Sep 2025 | 273 | 613 | 44.5% |
| Oct 2025 | 251 | 483 | 52.0% |
| Nov 2025 | 174 | 392 | 44.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 200 | 333 | 60.1% |
| Jan 2026 | 222 | 530 | 41.9% |
| Feb 2026 | 447 | 1,106 | 40.4% |
| Mar 2026 | 175 | 360 | 48.6% |
| Apr 2026 | 239 | 491 | 48.7% |
| May 2026 | 171 | 785 | 21.8% |
| Jun 2026 | 214 | 842 | 25.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 469 | 1,143 | 41.0% |
| Aug 2026 | 319 | 640 | 49.8% |
| Sep 2026 | 373 | 638 | 58.5% |
| Oct 2026 | 17 | 30 | 56.7% |
5,536 matching media records
Each record represents a source web page, not a verified incident. Different URLs can describe the same event. About these records.
Woman who believed top celebwas 'in love' with her hands over £60k to scammers
Woman60kfalsecelebrityloveheadline, genericheartbreakfinancialruinopening not particularpsychological/materialoutcome.
Reported caseWoman Loses $500,000 Over Nine Months in Online Romance Scam
RNC woman500000/nine months plus warning; duration alone not an explicit repeated request. No claimed refund/arrest.
Reported caseWoman’s Inheritance Wiped Out in Crypto-Dating Scam
NikiHutchinson25 dating app inheritance wiped out, crypto-investment headline. Crypto-dating does not alone establish actual crypto transfer. Same-agent contextual correction: Crypto purchase/asset wording alone does not establish investment/trading or promised returns.
Reported caseFirst Alert Safety Check: How to spot a romance scam
FTC2022almost70000reports/olderadults240m and spottingadvice. Aggregate subpopulation not eachvictim loss or unique romanceincidents.
Research & trendsAnne piégée par Brad Pitt : que s'est-il vraiment passé avec cette arnaque sentimentale ?
Anne830000falseBradPittcontestsTF1portrayalandnaivety. Quotedchallengedframingnotresearcherendorsement; noAIformatfromothercopies.
Reported caseBBB: More than half of romance scams now result in financial loss | Here’s how to protect yourself
BBBmorethanhalfscamsfinanciallossclaim/sourcewarning. Proportionnotindividualamount or independentlyvalidatedpopulationrate.
Research & trendsJeśli w rozmowie padną takie słowa, uciekaj gdzie pieprz rośnie
NASK2024Polish10millionRomancelossaggregateandadvice. Notverifieduniqueincidentsorindividualamount.
Research & trendsMehrere Tausend Franken übergeben: Polizei verhaftet Liebesbetrüger am Hauptbahnhof Zürich
ZüricholderwomanhandedvaluablestoyoungNigerian/arrest. Sourcepropertypayment, nationalitynotlocation; no recoveryoraccount-usebasis.
Reported casePH-Based Love Scam, Biktima ang Higit 5,000 Australyano
Philippine scamcenter/Australian5000targets24m, scriptedpersonae/datingapps men35–80. Aggregate source-estimate not verifieduniquevictims or arrests.
Reported case「一緒に投資勉強したい」 にかほ市の４０代女性、６１万円詐欺被害｜秋田魁新報電子版
Nikaho40swoman61万円crypto/SNS andjointinvestmentstudy. SeparateYurihonjoamount/person, no mergeby policeauthority.
Reported caseArizona romance scam loses millions in 2022 and 2023
Arizona47million2022–2023 aggregate/ranking; comparator states not automatically victims' locations in this article.
Research & trendsRomance fraud: 202 reports with average loss of £13,000 per victim in Essex
Essex202reports/mean13000 source aggregate, no exactincidence or individual equalityto mean.
Research & trendsRomance scams surge as fraudsters exploit love and crypto | Invezz
US2023over1b aggregate; authorities warning and tech-company crackdowns. Crypto in headline not a proved payment/investment method. Same-agent contextual correction: Unspecified tech-firm crackdown is not an explicit described disruption operation.
Research & trendsThink you can spot a Romance Scam? Canadians lost more than $58 million last year after being led into ‘web of lies’
Canada58m lastyear aggregate withOPP falseidentities/trust warning. Relative lastyearnotnormalized or repeatedcopies independentcorroboration.
Prevention & supportWoman shares cautionary tale to avoid online dating scams
CentralOhiowomanthousandspaid tobelievedman, sourceclippedpersona detail. Noactualhousing/mentalharmborrowed.
Reported caseTwo arrested in Oxford St 'celebrity romance scam' after victims coerced into sending £200k to 'well-known boyfriends'
OxfordStreetarrestmetadataintroconflicts/coerced-targetrolesambiguous. Fakecelebritypersonaexplicit;200k sourceamount not confidentlyresolvedcompletedloss; fullerbodyrequiresdistinctcurrentrevision. Current source-specific layer: Correct erroneous lead's suspect/target conflation. Two arrests followed by release under investigation; source explicitly says no charges. General police distress/nonreporting remarks are not each target's clinical outcome. Henhouse campaign is broader than this case; seized crypto does not establish crypto payments by all targets or funds returned.
Reported caseRomance scammers are taking advantage of Americans
2023over1b reported romance-loss aggregate; no2025 loss, warning action or case facts in own text.
Research & trendsArizona Ranks 5th Highest In Losses To Romance Scams
Arizona FBI47million2022–2023 aggregate/rank. Heart/purse-string manipulation is general warning; historical totals are not new2025 individual losses.
Research & trends“They steal people’s money and their hearts”: Romance scams targeting Mass. seniors on the rise - The Boston Globe
Massachusetts seniors source-reportedfake-romance losses/targeting; easier transfers not a particular crypto or platform mechanism.
Research & trendsLove at first swipe? Stay safe from romance scams | Melton & Moorabool
Victorians5.5million reported aggregate with state-government warning; no individual amount or prevention efficacy.
Prevention & supportThink you can spot a Romance Scam? Canadians lost more than $58 million last year after being led into ‘web of lies’
Canada58m lastyear aggregate withOPP falseidentities/trust warning. Relative lastyearnotnormalized or repeatedcopies independentcorroboration.
Prevention & supportMehrere Tausend Franken übergeben: Polizei verhaftet Liebesbetrüger am Hauptbahnhof Zürich
ZüricholderwomanhandedvaluablestoyoungNigerian/arrest. Sourcepropertypayment, nationalitynotlocation; no recoveryoraccount-usebasis.
Reported caseFraud EDU: Falling for Romance Scams - Yellowhammer News
FTC2023>64000/>1b andmedian2000, relativefouryearsnotcalendarfilled. Median/notmean, combinedgroups/time notindividualequalamount orverifiedincidence.
Research & trendsNZ's biggest bank warns against romance scams on Valentine's Day
NZ194.2mheadline/metadata callsRomance total; fullRNZbodybroaderRomance-plus-relationshipscope requiresdistinctcorrection, notRomance-onlyfigureaccepteduncritically. Current source-specific layer: Preserve mixed reporting, bank average, Ombudsman cases and historical complaints as distinct denominators and people. Requested money is not paid by Phoebe. Aggressive contact/sexual deception do not prove violence or extortion. No operator location from foreign soldier persona, inferred refund, exact unseen date or evaluated preventive benefit.
Research & trends