Love is all around, but so are dating app scammers

LOVE is blind but anybody hunting for a relationship online must be clearsighted as romance scams surge around Valentine’s Day.

Singletons must beware false hearts and fraudsters, especially when signing up to dating apps.

More than 40 per cent of people seeking love online have been asked for money, according to UK Finance.

Hoaxes tend to start with a lower payment value as the scammer looks to build trust with the victim, but demands for cash rise over time.

The average female victim handed over £10,610, while men lost £8,181, according to figures from Nationwide.

Its director of economic crime, Jim Winters, said anyone can be a target. “Criminals can persuade someone who is looking for love or feeling lonely to give them their trust, personal details and ultimately their money, even when they haven’t met.”

Many give excuses to avoid meeting, or claim their webcam is broken so they do not show their face.

Typical tricks include urging targets to keep the relationship secret and suggest leaving the original app to communicate by email, phone or instant messaging instead, while they try to worm out personal details.

Phillip Davies, chief information security officer at Equifax UK, said scammers look to establish a bond by asking personal questions, and sharing your phone number, email or home address could put you at risk. “Be careful not to include information such as your location or date of birth within your username or profile.”

Never send or receive money, no matter how convincing their story.

Go with your gut, Davies said. “If they make excuses for meeting up in person or their profile picture belongs to someone else, trust your instincts.”