SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Romance Scam Pre-
vention Act’’. 
SEC. 2. ROMANCE SCAM PREVENTION. 
(a) FRAUD BAN NOTIFICATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—An online dating service pro-
vider shall provide to a member of the online dating 
service a fraud ban notification if the member has 
received a message through the online dating service 
from a banned member of the online dating service. 
(2) REQUIRED CONTENTS.—A fraud ban notifi-
cation under paragraph (1) shall include the fol-
lowing: 
(A) The username or other profile identi-
fier of the banned member, as well as the most 
recent time when the member to whom the noti-
fication is being provided sent or received a 
message through the online dating service to or 
from the banned member. 
(B) A statement, as applicable, that the 
banned member identified in subparagraph (A) 
may have been using a false identity or at-
tempting to defraud members. 
(C) A statement that a member should not 
send cash or another form of currency or per-
sonal financial information to another member.
(D) Information regarding best practices 
to avoid online fraud or being defrauded by a 
member of an online dating service, which may 
be provided through a link to another web page 
or disclosure. 
(E) Contact information to reach the cus-
tomer service department of the online dating 
service provider. 
(3) MANNER AND TIMING.— 
(A) MANNER.—A fraud ban notification 
under paragraph (1) shall be— 
(i) clear and conspicuous; and 
(ii) provided by email, text message, 
or, if consented to by the member receiving 
the fraud ban notification, other appro-
priate means of communication. 
(B) TIMING.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided 
in clauses (ii) and (iii), an online dating 
service provider shall provide a fraud ban 
notification under paragraph (1) not later 
than 24 hours after the fraud ban is initi-
ated against the banned member. 
(ii) DELAY BASED ON JUDGMENT OF 
PROVIDER.—If, in the judgment of the on-
line dating service provider, the cir-
cumstances require a fraud ban notifica-
tion under paragraph (1) to be provided 
after the 24-hour period described in 
clause (i), the online dating service pro-
vider shall, except as provided in clause 
(iii), provide the notification not later than 
3 days after the day on which the fraud 
ban is initiated against the banned mem-
ber. 
(iii) DELAY UPON REQUEST OF LAW 
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.—If, due to an 
ongoing investigation, a law enforcement 
official requests an online dating service 
provider to delay providing a fraud ban no-
tification under paragraph (1) beyond the 
time when the notification is required to be 
provided under clause (i) or (ii), the online 
dating service provider— 
(I) may not provide the notifica-
tion before the end of the period of 
delay (including any extension of such 
period) requested by the law enforce-
ment official; and
(II) shall provide the notification 
not later than 3 days after the last 
day of the period of delay (including 
any extension of such period) re-
quested by the law enforcement offi-
cial. 
(4) SAFE HARBOR APPLICABILITY.—An online 
dating service provider is not liable to a member, a 
banned member, or a former member for a claim 
based on an online dating service provider’s action 
to comply with the requirements for providing a 
fraud ban notification under this subsection. 
(b) ENFORCEMENT.— 
(1) ENFORCEMENT BY THE COMMISSION.— 
(A) UNFAIR OR DECEPTIVE ACTS OR PRAC-
TICES.—A violation of this section or a regula-
tion promulgated under this section shall be 
treated as a violation of a rule defining an un-
fair or deceptive act or practice under section 
18(a)(1)(B) of the Federal Trade Commission 
Act (15 U.S.C. 57a(a)(1)(B)). 
(B) POWERS OF COMMISSION.— 
(i) IN
GENERAL.—The Commission 
shall enforce this section in the same man-
ner, by the same means, and with the
same jurisdiction, powers, and duties as 
though all applicable terms and provisions 
of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 
U.S.C. 41 et seq.) were incorporated into 
and made a part of this section. 
(ii) PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES.— 
Any person who violates this section shall 
be subject to the penalties and entitled to 
the privileges and immunities provided in 
the Federal Trade Commission Act. 
(iii) AUTHORITY PRESERVED.—Noth-
ing in this section may be construed to 
limit the authority of the Commission 
under any other provision of law. 
(2) ENFORCEMENT BY STATES.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (B), in any case in which the attorney 
general of a State has reason to believe that an 
interest of the residents of the State has been 
or is threatened or adversely affected by the en-
gagement of any person in an act or practice 
that violates this section, the attorney general 
of the State may, as parens patriae, bring a 
civil action on behalf of the residents of the
State in an appropriate district court of the 
United States to obtain appropriate relief. 
(B) RIGHTS OF THE COMMISSION.— 
(i) NOTICE TO THE COMMISSION.— 
(I) IN GENERAL.—Except as pro-
vided in subclause (III), before initi-
ating a civil action under subpara-
graph (A), the attorney general of a 
State shall notify the Commission in 
writing that the attorney general in-
tends to bring such civil action. 
(II) CONTENTS.—The notifica-
tion required by subclause (I) shall in-
clude a copy of the complaint to be 
filed to initiate the civil action. 
(III) EXCEPTION.—If it is not 
feasible for the attorney general of a 
State to provide the notification re-
quired by subclause (I) before initi-
ating a civil action under subpara-
graph (A), the attorney general shall 
notify the Commission immediately 
upon instituting the civil action. 
(ii) INTERVENTION BY THE COMMIS-
SION.—Upon receiving the notice required
by clause (i)(I), the Commission may inter-
vene in the civil action and, upon inter-
vening— 
(I) be heard on all matters aris-
ing in the civil action; and 
(II) file petitions for appeal of a 
decision in the civil action. 
(C) LIMITATION ON STATE ACTION WHILE 
FEDERAL ACTION IS PENDING.—If the Commis-
sion has instituted a civil action for a violation 
of this section or a regulation promulgated 
under this section, no attorney general of a 
State may bring an action under subparagraph 
(A) during the pendency of that action against 
any defendant named in the complaint of the 
Commission for any violation of this section or 
a regulation promulgated under this section al-
leged in the complaint. 
(D) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—For pur-
poses of bringing a civil action under this sub-
section, nothing in this subsection may be con-
strued to prevent the attorney general of a 
State from exercising the powers conferred on 
the attorney general by the laws of the State to 
conduct investigations, to administer oaths or
affirmations, or to compel the attendance of 
witnesses or the production of documentary or 
other evidence. 
(E) ACTIONS
BY
OTHER
STATE
OFFI-
CIALS.—In addition to a civil action brought by 
an attorney general under subparagraph (A), 
any other consumer protection officer of a State 
who is authorized by the State to do so may 
bring a civil action under subparagraph (A), 
subject to the same requirements and limita-
tions that apply under this paragraph to a civil 
action brought by an attorney general. 
(c) ONE NATIONAL STANDARD.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A State, or political subdivi-
sion thereof, may not maintain, enforce, prescribe, 
or continue in effect a provision of any law, rule, 
regulation, requirement, or standard having the 
force and effect of law of the State, or political sub-
division of the State, that requires an online dating 
service provider to notify, prohibits an online dating 
service provider from notifying, or otherwise affects 
the manner in which an online dating service pro-
vider is required or permitted to notify, a member 
of the online dating service that the member has re-
ceived a message from or sent a message to a mem-
ber whose account or profile on the online dating 
service is the subject of a fraud ban through the on-
line dating service. 
(2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—This subsection 
may not be construed to preempt any law of a State 
or political subdivision of a State relating to con-
tracts or torts. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) BANNED
MEMBER.—The term ‘‘banned 
member’’ means a member of an online dating serv-
ice whose account or profile on the online dating 
service is the subject of a fraud ban. 
(2) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 
means the Federal Trade Commission. 
(3) FRAUD BAN.—The term ‘‘fraud ban’’ means 
the termination or suspension of the account or pro-
file of a member of an online dating service because, 
in the judgment of the online dating service pro-
vider, there is a significant risk the member will at-
tempt to obtain cash or another form of currency 
from another member through fraudulent means. 
(4) MEMBER.—The term ‘‘member’’ means an 
individual who— 
(A) submits to an online dating service 
provider the information required by the pro-
vider to establish an account or profile on the 
online dating service; and 
(B) is allowed by the provider to establish 
such an account or profile. 
(5) ONLINE DATING SERVICE.—The term ‘‘on-
line dating service’’ means a service that— 
(A) is provided through a website or a mo-
bile application; and 
(B) offers members access to dating or ro-
mantic relationships with other members by ar-
ranging or facilitating the social introduction of 
members. 
(6) ONLINE DATING SERVICE PROVIDER.—The 
term ‘‘online dating service provider’’ means a per-
son engaged in the business of offering an online 
dating service. 
(7) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each 
State of the United States, the District of Columbia, 
each commonwealth, territory, or possession of the 
United States, and each federally recognized Indian 
Tribe.
(e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take effect 
on the date that is 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
Passed the House of Representatives June 23, 2025. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 2481 
AN ACT 
To require online dating service providers to pro-
vide fraud ban notifications to online dating serv-
ice members, and for other purposes.