Anyone with a Tinder or Bumble account will tell you that finding love online can be risky, but beyond just not clicking or being attracted to their matches, users have also reported romance scams, unknowingly dating sex offenders, and even violence.
But the location of a first date — not just the restaurant, but the U.S. state — could help predict the likelihood that romantic hopefuls will run into trouble, according to data collected by a research firm. Privacy Journal.
Online dating is no longer the exception, nor necessarily the last resort: one-third of American adults report using one of the many online dating services available. Forbes Health.
Using data from the FBI, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Federal Trade Commission and the Internet Crime Complaint Center, researchers at the Privacy Journal analyzed where dating app users may be most at risk and ranked the 50 states.
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Privacy Journal ranked the 50 states on the safety of online dating by analyzing rates of violent crime, romance scams, identity theft, fraud and violent crime. (cyberguy.com)
The most dangerous states for online dating are:
1. Nevada
It’s not just casinos that are after your money, but they say online dating can be quite a gamble in the Silver State, mainly due to the prevalence of scams.
Nevada has the second highest rate of romance scams in the nation, with 8.1 per 100,000 people falling victim to them. Nevada residents are third most likely to be victims of fraud, with 442 per 100,000 people falling victim to them, and fourth most likely to have their identity stolen.
Nevada is currently the most dangerous state online, according to a Privacy Journal study. (Patrick Donnelly/Center for Biological Diversity via The Associated Press/File)
2. Alaska
Some crime researchers have suggested a correlation between rising temperatures and higher crime rates, with a University of Southern California study finding a 5.7% increase in violent crime on days when temperatures exceeded 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Nevertheless, the coldest state in the U.S. has been ranked the second most dangerous place online ever, due to its high rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and crime, as well as its high concentration of sex offenders.
Alaska reports 1,080 cases per 100,000 residents, the third highest rate in the nation. Mississippi has the highest rate of STDs, with 1,243 cases per 100,000 residents, but does not rank in the top five most dangerous states due to low scores on other risk factors.
Alaska also has the second highest violent crime rate, with 759 out of 100,000 people reporting being assaulted each year, nearly 1 in 100. The state has the third highest rate of romance fraud, with 7.9 out of 100,000 people being victims. The data shows that 454 out of 100,000 people are registered sex offenders.
3. Georgia
According to the study, Georgia appears to join peaches, peanuts and pecans in having the highest cybercrime victimization rates for both identity theft and fraud.
In Georgia, 358 out of every 100,000 people experience identity theft and 470 are victims of other types of fraud each year.
Georgia is in the top 10 states for sexually transmitted disease rates, but has the fourth-lowest rate of romance fraud in the nation, with just 3.9 victims per 100,000 people — far lower than some of the safest states in the study — and ranks in the middle for violent crime and sex offender registration rates.
4. Florida
Even those looking for love online can’t escape the “Florida Man.” Florida is the second worst state when it comes to identity theft, with 342 victims per 100,000 residents, and fraud, with 462 per 100,000 residents reporting these crimes.
While Florida’s wallets as well as hearts may be at risk, the threat of violence is not as high as in other candidate states: The state ranks in the bottom 10 in the nation for sex offender rates and in the bottom 15 for violent crime, according to the study.
5. Arizona
Guard your heart in Arizona. Arizona has the nation’s highest rate of romance scams, with 9.2 per 100,000 residents falling victim to them each year. Arizona residents have the nation’s 10th highest rate of STDs and the 8th highest rate of fraud.
According to the FBI, romance scams occur when “a person adopts a false online identity in order to gain the affection and trust of a victim.”
“The scammer’s goal is to establish a relationship as quickly as possible and gain the victim’s likeability and trust. The scammer may propose marriage or make plans to meet in person, but it never happens. Ultimately, they will demand money,” the FBI website says.
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According to the Privacy Journal, Arizona has a higher incidence of romance scams (where people pretend to be someone else online to scam unlucky lovers out of their money) than any other state. (Standin’ on the Corner Foundation)
The safest states for online dating are:
1. Vermont
Consistently ranking highly in quality of life rankings, it’s no wonder the Green Mountain State also ranked as the safest place in the country for online dating.
Vermont has the lowest per capita rate of sexually transmitted diseases in the country, the second-lowest rate of reported identity theft, and ranks within the bottom 14th place in every Privacy Journal metric.
According to the Privacy Journal, Vermont is the safest state for online dating. (Tim Graham/Getty Images/File)
2. Maine
The Pine Tree State, which has the lowest crime rate per capita in the country, is also the second safest state in the country when it comes to online dating.
The study’s authors acknowledged that there hasn’t been much research on the correlation between crime rates in the population as a whole and online dating apps, but noted that lower crime rates would make everyone safer, including those who date online.
Data shows Maine residents have the third-lowest rate of sexually transmitted diseases in the country.
3. New Hampshire
The study found another New England state ranked in the top three safest places, with New Hampshire coming in third.
Sandwiched between Vermont and Maine, New Hampshire has the second-lowest violent crime and sexually transmitted disease rates in the nation, as well as the 13th-lowest rate of sex offender registrations.
4. Kentucky
In addition to fried chicken, bluegrass and derby, Kentucky also ranks in the bottom 10 for fraud, identity theft and violent crime.
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Kentuckians can add the relative safety of online dating to their list of attractions, including bluegrass music and the Kentucky Derby. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images/File)
5. Idaho
The Gem State is the safest state to date west of the Mississippi River, with the fourth lowest STD rate per capita and the 10th lowest rates of violent crime and identity theft.
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But Idahoans are not entirely innocent: The state ranks in the top half of states for romance scams and registered sex offenders.
