Fall for the person, not the profile

FEBRUARY is the season of love and romance – but it is also a key date for fraudsters aiming to steal your money as well as your heart.

Romance scams involve people being duped into sending money to criminals who go to great lengths to gain their trust and convince them that they are in a genuine relationship. They use language to manipulate, persuade and exploit so that requests for money do not raise alarm bells. These requests might be highly emotive, such as criminals claiming they need money for emergency medical care, or to pay for transport costs to visit the victim if they are overseas. Scammers will often build a relationship with their victims over time.

In Cambridgeshire alone, nearly £1m was lost to romance scams last year. The warning comes ahead of Valentine’s Day and then Singles Awareness Day (15 February).

According to police data, there were 111 reports of romance scams across Cambridgeshire in 2022, with losses for victims totalling more than £870,000. However, in reality, the figures are likely to be much higher as many romance scams go unreported due to victims feeling embarrassed or ashamed.

Signs your friend or family member may be involved in a romance scam:

• They may be very secretive about their relationship or provide excuses for why their online partner has not video called or met them in person. They might become hostile or angry and withdraw from conversation when you ask any questions about their partner.
• They may express very strong emotions and commitment to someone they have only just met.
• They have sent, or are planning to send, money to someone they have not met face-to-face. They may take out loans or withdraw from their pension to send money.

How users can stay safe from romance scams:

• Be suspicious of any requests for money from someone you have never met in person, particularly if you have only recently met online.
• Speak to your family or friends to get advice.
• Profile photos may not be genuine, do your research first. Performing a reverse image search on a search engine can find photos that have been taken from somewhere, or someone, else.

It is important that no matter how long you’ve been speaking to someone online and how much you think you trust them, if you have not met them in person, it’s important that you do not:

• Send them any money
• Allow them access to your bank account
• Transfer money on their behalf
• Take a loan out for them
• Provide copies of your personal documents such as passports or driving licenses
• Invest your own money on their behalf or on their advice
• Purchase and send the codes on gift cards from Amazon or iTunes
• Agree to receive and/or send parcels on their behalf (laptops, mobile phones etc.)

How to report it

If you think you have been a victim of a romance scam, do not feel ashamed or embarrassed - you are not alone. Contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via www.actionfraud.police.uk