Romance scams on the rise as fraudsters target lonely hearts
ROMANCE fraudsters are scamming Midland lonely hearts for more than £10,000 each during the coronavirus crisis.
The crime has increased during the pandemic, with cruel con artists targeting lonely victims isolated from friends and family.
The culprits gain the trust of their prey and drain their cash, offering false promises of repayment.
West Mercia Police said victims lost an average of more than £10,000 each, with some losing much more.
Nationally, the Action Fraud organisation received 5,820 reports of romance fraud last year with a total reported loss of more than £68 million.
The average loss to victims was nearly £18,000. Most of those cleaned out are woman aged between 50 and 59. Male victims are generally younger, with the highest proportion in their 20s.
And reporting levels of the crime are running at more than 35 per cent above last year’s rate, at an average of 148 a week against 110 in 2019.
Police said the coronavirus pandemic provided a credible cover story criminals were exploiting.
Det Insp Emma Wright, from West Mercia Police’s economic crime unit, said: “We are committed to safeguarding vulnerable people and disrupting criminality that preys on victims, causing them significant financial losses. “Romance scams are both emotionally and financially damaging for victims. The increasing popularity of online dating services has made it easier for criminals to target victims, so we urge everyone to be cautious and follow the advice of the Take Five To Stop Fraud campaign, which offers straightforward and impartial advice to help people spot scams and protect themselves against fraud. ”Although banks are always looking out for suspicious activity, customers must be on their guard and protect themselves too.
“Always be wary of requests for money from someone you’ve never met in person. If you think you’ve been the victim of a romance scam, contact your bank immediately, report it to Action Fraud at www.action fraud.police.uk or call us on 101.”