A recent study analyzed how susceptible the residents of each state are when it comes to falling for online romance scams.
"As the nights draw in and the holidays approach, millions of Americans are turning to dating apps to find someone to spend the winter with," according to a media release. "But depending on where they live, that next match could carry far more risk."
The study conducted by the researchers at Manhattan Mental Health Counseling "analyzed six safety metrics across 48 states to reveal where online dating is most dangerous," the release said. "The metrics included romance scams, identity theft, violent crime, and registered sex offenders."
Rhode Islanders, it turns out, are less likely than most of the country to be played as patsies by a romance scammer, the study revealed, as the Ocean State ranked 38th on the list of contiguous United States.
The states with the most gullible residents regarding romance scams were Arizona, Nevada and Oregon, while the least gullible were in Maine, Iowa and Connecticut.
Nine of the top 10 states were in the West or the South.
Therapist Natalie Buchwald of Manhattan Mental Health Counseling warned in the release that the risks are easy to miss on a screen.
"Online dating has made it easier than ever to meet people, but it has also made it easier for people to hide who they really are," Buchwald said. "The safest daters aren't the most suspicious ones; they're the ones who take their time. Video call before you meet, choose a public place, and if someone is rushing to move the chat off the app or brings up money, that's your cue to step back."
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