How the Unbreaking Project by Match Group Helps Combat Romance Scams and Support Victims on Facebook and Beyond
Online romance scams have surged in recent years, leaving thousands of people emotionally devastated and financially ruined. In response to this growing threat, Match Group — the parent company behind popular dating platforms like Tinder, Hinge, and OkCupid — launched a bold initiative called the Unbreaking Project. This campaign aims to combat romance scams and support those affected by them through training, survivor advocacy, public awareness, and direct action.
With strategic partnerships and powerful community storytelling, this initiative is not only raising the alarm — it’s creating real-world change.
Let’s explore how this project is setting a new standard in online dating safety and helping to prevent future scams.
Why Online Romance Scams Are a Crisis in 2025
Romance scams have become one of the most damaging forms of online fraud, with over $1.3 billion in reported losses annually in the U.S. alone. Scammers often start with a friendly message on Facebook, LinkedIn, or dating platforms, gaining trust and building emotional connections before requesting money under pretenses.
Unfortunately, many victims don’t report these scams due to embarrassment or fear of disbelief, which is why efforts to raise awareness, improve law enforcement responses, and create safe resources for recovery are more urgent than ever.
The Unbreaking Project tackles these challenges head-on with compassion, education, and action.
1. Free Virtual Training for Law Enforcement Agencies
One of the core strengths of the Unbreaking Project is its investment in free virtual training for law enforcement agencies across the country.
These virtual trainings are created in partnership with experts from the Center for Combating Elder Financial Abuse, digital safety professionals, and survivors like Kate Kleinert. The training provides law enforcement with:
- An understanding of romance fraud patterns
- Guidance on interviewing victims with empathy
- Practical tools to build cases and collaborate with tech platforms
Too often, local law enforcement agencies are undertrained in handling these emotionally sensitive cases. These sessions bridge that gap, giving officers the skills to support victims, pursue romance scammers and the center of operations behind them, and protect others before it’s too late.
2. Survivor Care Packages Provide Comfort and Support
Being a victim of a romance scam often comes with grief, shame, and isolation. Recognizing this, the Unbreaking Project distributes survivor care packages — affectionately called Kate’s Hug Kits — named after survivor Kate Kleinert.
These kits offer both comfort and recovery resources, including:
- Letters of encouragement from other survivors
- Journals and self-care items
- Guides to report scams and access help
- Mental health support contact information
Distributing these care kits through trained officers ensures that victims feel heard, supported, and validated. It’s more than a gesture — it’s a step toward healing, built on empathy and community trust.
3. Online Campaigns Raise Awareness and Empower Users
The Unbreaking Project uses the power of storytelling to drive its campaign. Through emotional videos, public interviews, and survivor-led narratives, the project amplifies stories of romance scam victims to raise awareness and empower others.
One notable example is Kate Kleinert’s presence on LinkedIn, where her story has reached thousands. Her courage in sharing your story has helped reshape how online communities talk about romance scams.
The campaign emphasizes how users can learn how to date safely, recognize manipulation tactics, and build healthy skepticism when meeting people on platforms like Tinder or even LinkedIn.
Safely Recognize Different Warning Signs
The project educates users to safely recognize different warning signs of scams:
- Requests to move off-platform quickly
- Claims of love after just a few conversations
- Financial emergencies requiring urgent help
- Avoiding video calls or in-person meetings
- Poor grammar or vague personal details
Through accessible, digestible content, the campaign gives every user the tools to avoid becoming a victim.
4. Match Group’s Investment in Trust and Online Safety
The Unbreaking Project is part of Match Group’s larger commitment to Trust and Safety — or trustandsafety as it’s known internally. The company has previously rolled out features like:
- Photo verification
- Location-sharing tools
- In-app reporting and blocking
- Scam detection AI
But what makes this project special is its emotional and educational depth. It’s not just about technology — it’s about listening to survivors, building relationships with advocates, and treating safety as a shared responsibility between platforms and users.
As a leading platform, Match Group’s approach signals to the rest of the industry that online safety is not optional — it’s foundational.
5. Strategic Partnerships That Deliver Real Solutions
A standout feature of the Unbreaking Project is its partnership with survivor-led and advocacy organizations. This is not a top-down corporate initiative — it’s a collaborative solution built with those on the front lines.
Partners include:
- Advocating Against Romance Scammers (AARS) – an advocacy organization founded by survivors, for survivors
- The Center for Combating Elder Financial Abuse – helping combat elder financial abuse, a growing threat in digital romance scams
- Law enforcement officials who want to help but need training
These partnerships ensure that the solutions being implemented are grounded in real experiences and practical needs. They also allow for nationwide scalability — creating a blueprint for other agencies, platforms, and even dating apps to replicate.
6. Kate Kleinert: Survivor Turned Advocate
Few stories are more impactful than that of survivor Kate Kleinert, a widow who lost $39,000 in a romance scam that started on Facebook. What’s most inspiring is how she transformed her pain into advocacy.
Now a key figure in the Unbreaking Project, Kate’s story has been posted on the topic across news sites, podcasts, and LinkedIn, where her honesty and courage continue to inspire thousands.
She regularly speaks with law enforcement, shares her experience in free virtual training sessions, and helps build emotional resources for other victims. As she says, “It’s not just about the money. It’s about the betrayal. And that needs healing too.”
Her example reminds all of us of the power of vulnerability — and the importance of support systems that actually work.
7. How Users Can Take Action to Protect Others
The most important message of the Unbreaking Project is that everyone — from dating platforms to users — has a role to play in protecting others and building safer digital spaces.
What You Can Do
- If you see suspicious behavior, report it immediately using your app’s tools.
- Share this article or resources from the Unbreaking Project with friends and family.
- Join LinkedIn conversations or awareness events to learn more.
- Support survivor-led groups like AARS and organizations combating elder fraud.
- If you’ve been affected, remember: you’re not alone. There are people ready to help you recover and rebuild.
Every time a user chooses to speak up, every time a police officer listens with empathy, and every time a platform takes meaningful action, we take another step forward in the fight to combat romance scams and support victims.
Final Thoughts: A New Era of Digital Dating Safety
With the Unbreaking Project, Match Group is showing the dating industry what real accountability looks like. By combining survivor insight, law enforcement training, emotional support, and digital innovation, they’re offering a long-overdue solution.
This isn’t just about fixing a problem — it’s about rewriting the rules of online engagement to protect others, foster trust, and create a safer, more compassionate digital community.
Let’s all be part of that change
