Plenty of Fish: Dating contact led to major financial loss

A user told The Guardian that a relationship started on Plenty of Fish cost her almost $100,000. Her account was published alongside a US congressional report on dating-app scams.

This concerns misuse by other users, not the service's own security, and does not count in the score.

What happened

According to The Guardian, a user met someone on Plenty of Fish in 2024. Constant contact turned into repeated requests for money, explained as work expenses and medical emergencies. She describes sending cryptocurrency payments that eventually added up to almost $100,000. After realising it was a scam she blocked the contact, who then reached out again from new phone numbers. She later found other Plenty of Fish profiles using the same photos and reported them to the platform. The account was published alongside a US congressional report on romance scams on dating apps owned by Match Group.

What is documented

• The Guardian interviewed the user and published her account on 14 October 2026.
• She reported losing almost $100,000, paid in cryptocurrency.
• A US congressional investigation examined romance scams on Match Group's dating platforms.

What has not been established

• The identity of the person responsible.
• Whether the full loss has been independently verified.
• Whether Plenty of Fish could have prevented this particular case.

What this means for you

1. Never send money or crypto to someone you only know from a dating app.
2. Treat repeated emergencies and pressure to pay quickly as warning signs.
3. Keep messages and receipts, and report suspected fraud to the app and the police.