A new study found South Carolina ranked among the most Dangerous US States for Online Dating. To create the rankings, PrivacyJournal, a leading publishing platform dedicated to digital safety, had their team of researchers evaluate these six factors: reported romance scams, incidents of identity theft and fraud, registered sex offenders, prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases, and rates of violent crime.
Based on these assessments, they ranked US states from the safest (1st place) to the most dangerous (50th place) for online dating.
Here are some of the key findings:
- Vermont is the safest state for online dating overall. It has the second-lowest rate of reported identity theft and the lowest rate of STDs, and it ranks in the bottom 10 for violent crime and fraud.
- The most dangerous state for online dating is Nevada. The Silver State ranks second in romance scam reports per 100,000 residents, fourth in identity theft reports, and third in reports of fraud.
- South Carolina ranks 45th, largely due to having the fourth-highest rate of reported STDs in the US - 1,062 cases per 100,000 residents. It follows behind Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alaska.
- Among its neighboring states, only Georgia ranks lower, coming in at 48th place. Georgia has surpassed South Carolina in the number of reported identity theft and fraud cases.
For a full report, click here.