VALENTINE’S Day can be fun and romantic, but it is also a reminder to beware of dating scams.
Citizens Advice West Berkshire urges people to protect themselves against romance fraudsters, and to make themselves aware of the tactics used to extract money from victims.
Online dating is increasingly used by people looking for love.
It can be a great way to meet new people, but it also comes with risks.
Romance fraud is on the rise.
According to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) it increased by 9% in 2024, with victims losing over £106m.
Heartless criminals use fake profiles to gain their victims’ trust, (many of them vulnerable people on bereavement or divorce support), and then exploit them financially.
They begin by making up personal tragedies or common interests, to help them build a false relationship.
Having won their victim’s trust, they then start inventing urgent financial needs.
Often they will say they need money for emergencies, travel expenses to visit their victim, or may even ask that person to take out a loan in their own name.
The Public Protection Partnership, and Citizens Advice West Berkshire (CAWB) have teamed up to help people spot the warning signs of romance scams.
They warn people to be cautious if someone they’ve met online:
Declares strong feelings for them after only a few conversations.
Suggests moving the conversation to a private channel (off the dating app).
Asks for money for an emergency, medical bills, or travel costs.
Avoids video calls, or meeting in person, for example claiming their phone camera is broken.
Asks them to take out loans in their name, or lie to their bank
To protect themselves, people can:
Verify someone’s identity by doing a reverse image search on their photos to check if these are stolen.
They can make sure they stay on the dating app (scammers often try to move conversations to private messaging platforms to avoid detection).
And they should never send money to someone they haven’t met in person or have only known for a short time.
Romance fraud should be reported as soon as possible.
Many victims are too ashamed to report, however, they should remember that these are devious criminals who manipulate their victims, often over a long time.
Reporting romance fraud can help to protect not only the victim, but others the criminals would target in future.
People should report to police via Report Fraud, who can give a crime reference number, either online or by phone.
They should also report money lost to scammers, to their bank as soon as possible.
People can contact Report Fraud by telephone: 0300 123 2040, or online, at: reportfraud.police.uk
Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline can also provide specialist advice and support online.
People can call: 0808 223 1133, or visit: citizensadvice.org.uk, or citizensadvicewestberkshire.org.uk
For further information, visit: publicprotectionpartnership.org.uk ( search for romance-fraud)
