Mexico City's Congress is considering a bill that would recognise romance scams, known locally as "estafa romance", as a form of economic and patrimonial violence against women and add them to the Federal Penal Code, according to Infobae. If the proposal advances, people who use romantic relationships to get money from their partners could face specific criminal penalties, and victims would have more tools for protection.
Who is behind it. The initiative was presented by local lawmaker Elizabeth Mateos Hernández. It proposes reforms to the General Law on Women's Access to a Life Free of Violence and to the Federal Penal Code. According to the text, emotional manipulation that leads women to hand over money or take on debt is not properly recognised in law, which leaves victims legally and financially vulnerable. In recent cases, some victims have lost up to two million pesos.
How the scheme works. The bill describes a pattern in which someone builds a romantic bond with a woman to win her trust and then, through emotional deception, asks for money or goods or pushes her to take out loans. The document notes that handing over money is often treated as a voluntary decision, even though it follows a process of manipulation. That makes it harder for authorities to investigate these cases as violence rather than simple fraud.
Cases cited. The bill's explanatory statement mentions Simon Leviev, known as the "Tinder Swindler", whose victims struggled to obtain justice because transfers were supposedly made voluntarily. It also cites Jonathan "N", dubbed the "Bumble Swindler", who allegedly contacted women in Mexico City through dating apps, got them to lend him money or take out loans in his name, and reportedly used false documents. One case involved allegedly inducing a victim to pay the mortgage on a flat in Tulum.
Next steps. The initiative has been sent to the joint committees on Gender Equality and on Administration and Procurement of Justice. If both approve it, it will go to the full Mexico City Congress and then to the federal Congress, because it involves federal reforms.
Why it matters
A global problem. Citing USA Today, Infobae reports that romance scam losses in the United States exceeded 1.16 billion dollars in the first nine months of 2025, with more than 55,000 people reporting this fraud between January and September. Criminal organisations increasingly use artificial intelligence, social engineering and deepfakes to fake video calls, and some operations rely on victims of labour trafficking.
- Verify that a dating profile is genuine before building trust.
- Cut contact as soon as an online partner asks for money.
- Never take out loans or put credit in your name for someone you have not verified.
- Be wary of video calls that look odd: deepfakes can simulate them.
Source: Infobae
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