COLUMBUS, Ohio — A new study suggests Ohio is the fourth-most dangerous state for online dating.
HighSpeedInternet.com ranked the safest and most dangerous places to use dating apps like Tinder and Hinge ahead of Valentine’s Day, which is Sunday. The methodology includes cybercrime data from the FBI and sexually transmitted disease statistics from the CDC.
The need for companionship continues to increase during the coronavirus pandemic with many singles choosing to remain inside. Experts say dating is shifting to online formats.
“With the protocols that we need to follow about staying home and distancing ourselves from others, online is now the new normal," said Sam Whittaker, relationship expert and editor at Mantelligence. "Everything is now done virtually. That’s why there is a boom in online dating apps."
The study also says the pandemic created new opportunities for cybercrime on dating apps. Scammers are now using COVID-19 sob stories to get matches to send them money.
According to the study, the five safest states for online dating are West Virginia, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Kentucky. Alaska, Nevada, Maryland, and Colorado joined Ohio as the five most dangerous.