Experts Call for Empathy First Response to Romance Scam Victims

Helping Romance Scam Victims Require a Proactive, Empathic Approach highlights how victims often face disbelief and blame from institutions that should support them, prompting experts to push for a coordinated, empathy-first response from law enforcement, financial firms and regulators. The piece recounts Ayleen Charlotte’s experience with Shimon Hayut, the so‑called Tinder Swindler, and how she founded Scam Awareness and Fraud Education (SAFE) to guide organisations on working with scam victims with empathy.

It notes that the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center recorded 23,159 reports of confidence or romance scams in 2025, alongside 72,984 investment scam complaints that year, totalling about $8.65 billion in losses, with most pig‑butchering scams going unreported. Industry figures stress that preventing losses requires collaboration across banks, telecoms and regulators such as the Federal Trade Commission, plus improved victim-centred training.

The article also points to initiatives like the Then & Now online curriculum developed by TIAA and the National Cybersecurity Alliance to protect older adults, and it quotes West and Swenson arguing that “the victim must come first” and empathy is essential.