AllRussian Releases 2026 Romance Scam Statistics Report: $929 Million Lost and AI Fraud Up 4.5×

HEMET, Calif. - May 14, 2026 - PRLog -- AllRussian, the public‑source research and identity verification firm operating since 1999, today published its 2026 Romance Scam Statistics & Trends Report, a comprehensive data snapshot that compiles the latest figures from the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, Federal Trade Commission, Bank of Russia, INTERPOL, and other trusted sources.

The report reveals the staggering scale of the problem—and the emerging tactics that make 2026 the most dangerous year yet for online daters.

Key Findings from the Report

- $929 million lost by U.S. victims to romance scams in 2025 (FBI IC3). 2026 losses are already trending 30% higher.
- £102 million lost by UK victims, averaging £9,500 per person (City of London Police).
- 55% of romance scam victims never report the crime, according to a 2026 AARP survey—meaning the true financial toll is likely more than double the official numbers.
- AI-enhanced fraud is 4.5 times more profitable than traditional scam scripts (INTERPOL 2026 Assessment).
- Deepfakes now account for 11% of global fraudulent activity, and participants in one 2026 study correctly identified AI‑generated voices only 37.5% of the time.
- 60% of romance scams start on social media, with Facebook alone linked to $745 million in victim losses (FTC).
- The average victim is groomed for 7 months before the first money request, making the emotional bond extremely difficult to break.

The report also includes regional data from Russia and the CIS, where a February 2026 Central Bank of Russia survey found that 29% of 460,000 respondents had experienced cyber‑fraud in the previous year.

"The data is worse than most people realize, and it's accelerating because scammers now have AI tools that make their fraud nearly undetectable to automated systems," said Michael Muinov, founder of AllRussian. "A ten‑dollar background check cannot detect an AI‑generated face or a cloned voice. Our investigators have been manually verifying identities since 1999, and we're publishing this report because the public deserves to see the full picture."

AllRussian's full "2026 Romance Scam Statistics & Trends Report" is available now at no cost: https://www.allrussian.com/romance-scam-statistics-2026.htm

Founded in 1999, AllRussian provides lawful public‑source research and verification services to individuals and businesses worldwide. The firm specializes in identity confirmation, scam‑risk reviews, passport and document authentication, re-connection searches, tenant screening, and authorized due diligence across 22+ countries. All work is performed manually by experienced investigators; the subject of any search is never contacted.