Norfolk worst for dating fraud

NORFOLK is the dating-fraud capital of the UK, according to a Freedom of Information request.

Which? found 1.6 people per 10,000 in the county had reported being conned, against a national average of 1.1.

Nationally, 8,311 victims said they had been persuaded to send money to a prospective “lover”.

Targeted individuals – usually the over-50s – are often coaxed into believing they are in a relationship with someone even though they have never met. Norfolk was also a hotspot of lottery scams, where victims are duped into paying to enter a non-existent syndicate, at a ratio of 2.2 people per 10,000, compared with 1.0 nationally.

When it comes to investment scams, the affluent county of Surrey suffered most, with 2.1 reports per 10,000 people, against an average of 1.3 nationally. Investment fraudsters typically coldcall victims and convince them to invest in non-existent shares.

Gareth Shaw, Which? money expert, said: “Fraudsters are finding it much easier to know who to target and how. These criminals are constantly finding new ways to rip us off.”