Looking for love? Don’t let a FRAUDSTER STEAL YOUR MONEY

Around 40% of new relationships now start online*** and through lockdown, more of us are logging on than ever. But for fraudsters, it’s the perfect opportunity to steal from the unsuspecting…

A new campaign kicks off in October from The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, run by the City of London Police, to tackle the increase in romance scams. The City of London Police says it saw 6,049 reported cases in 2019, which is the highest number of reports seen (although it’s likely the figure is much higher as these crimes often do not get reported out of embarrassment). People aged from 50 to 59 years are most at risk of falling victim to romance fraud. The older the victim, the higher the likely financial loss.

HERE’S HOW TO KEEP YOUR MONEY SAFE WHEN LOOKING FOR LOVE ONLINE:

Scammers often give away tell-tale signs. They might…

✘…request money (usually backed by an emotional story) or ask you to receive money into your account.

✘…ask too many personal questions, yet don’t reveal much about themselves.

✘…have too-perfect profile pictures, which could be fake.

✘…always find excuses not to meet face-to-face.

✘…declare their love for you early on.

‘Fraudsters often play the long game and will spend weeks or months to gain your trust before stealing from you,’ says Paul Davis, retail fraud director at Lloyds Bank. ‘Make sure you talk to friends and family about them because they may be able to spot suspicious behaviour. It can be difficult to see this for yourself if they tell you they are in love with you and you have spent months talking to them.’

ARE YOU A VICTIM?

If you think you are, call your bank immediately. ‘If you call within a few hours, a bank may be able to get the money back, but if it’s two or three days later, it will be difficult,’ says Davis. ‘You should also report it to Action Fraud. Dating sites are a popular place for scammers to find victims. If you use a dating site or app, choose reputable ones with checks in place to minimise risk.’

George Kidd, chief executive of the Online Dating Association (ODA), adds: ‘A reputable site will have lots of information to help users stay safe and even belong to a body such as the ODA. It’s good if the site has its own messaging service, as fraudsters will often try to take you off the platform to communicate with you.’

See the latest scams and advice at Take Five (takefive-stopfraud.org.uk).

The average loss per person is currently around £18,000†