Georgia one of most dangerous states for online dating, survey says
ATLANTA - Y'all, brace yourselves, because apparently, finding love online in Georgia is like playing a game of romantic roulette.
Privacy Journal has compiled a list of the Most Dangerous & Safest U.S. States for Online Dating. They dug into all sorts of juicy data like romance scams, identity theft, violent crime rates, and even the prevalence of STDs.
Vermont is the safest state for online dating overall. Of course, its largest city only has 45,000 residents and most of its residents are on the older side. But hold on to your sweet tea, because Maine and New Hampshire are right behind, proving that safety in online dating is basically New England’s middle name.
The most dangerous state in the U.S. is Nevada, which wasn't terribly surprising. Apparently, it's not just the casinos in the Silver State that are after your money. Nevada ranked number 2 in romance scams, 3rd in fraud reports and 4th in identity theft reports. Not cool, Nevada, not cool.
But wait, Georgia, what's the tea, hun? Georgia ranked as the third most dangerous state for online dating, and it leads the nation in reports of both identity theft and fraud.
It’s not all bad news, though. Georgia enjoys the fourth-lowest rate of romance scams in the U.S., with only 3.9 per 100,000 — even lower than first-place Vermont. Georgia is also right in the middle for violent crime and registered sex offenders.
And then there's Alaska, giving us all the creeps like a chilling episode of "True Detective: Night Country." Alaska has the second-highest violent crime rate with 758.9 out of every 100,000 Alaskans reporting assaults every year — nearly one out of every 100 people.
Alaska also places third from the top in STDs, with 1,080 reports per 100,000 people. That’s well over one percent of the population infected. The bad news doesn’t stop there: 454 out of every 100,000 Alaskans is a registered sex offender. It even has America’s third-highest rate of romance scams, which target 7.9 people out of every 100,000.
Don't think y'all will be safe if you move to Florida. It holds the distinction of being the second-worst state in the country for both identity theft and fraud. On the other hand, it's in the bottom 10 for sex offenders and bottom 15 for violent crime.
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But hey, if you're worried about bumping into some shady characters, New Jersey's got your back with its low count of registered sex offenders (50 per 100,000 residents). Meanwhile, Oregon seems to be swimming in a sea of red flags with its sky-high number of registered offenders (772/110K).
If you live in Mississippi, you are probably safe from romance scams. But, you might want to watch out for STDs -- mainly chlamydia and gonorrhea. The state reported a whopping 1,243 cases per 100,000 residents.
Speaking of which, the STD rate in Georgia leaves a lot to be desired with 985 reports per 100,000 residents.
Now, according to Forbes Health, online dating seems to be the norm these days, with nearly a third of U.S. adults diving into the digital dating pool. And while men seem to be swiping right on the idea more than women, let’s not forget that love is supposed to be an equal-opportunity game.
With almost half the U.S. population flying solo and more than half of them open to mingling, you'd think finding love would be a piece of peach cobbler. But hey, dating ain't easy, especially when you're wading through a swamp of potential scammers and heartbreakers.
But fear not, my lovelorn friends! There's a beacon of hope shining through the chaos: Facebook groups!
Yep, there are actual groups out there dedicated to sniffing out the shady characters sliding into your DMs. So, before you get swept off your feet by that charming profile picture, do a little detective work and make sure you're not falling for a catfish in sheep's clothing. Just search for "Are we sharing…" or "Are we dating…". You can thank me later for saving your heart and your wallet.