Bedfordshire Police advises people on the perils of romance fraud this Valentine’s Day

Love may be in the air for some people this week, but sadly not everyone online is genuine, so we have taken the opportunity to alert people to the perils of romance fraud this Valentine’s Day.

Most fraud incidents typically involve someone tricking or scamming another person out of money or something else valuable, and as dating apps and websites have been become an increasingly popular way to find a love match, scammers have begun using these platforms as a way of scouting their next victim by creating fake accounts.

In some cases, victims might be duped into believing cash has to be transferred in order to allow their prospective partner to travel to visit them, or that the person they have virtually ‘met’ is in financial hardship and in need of help.

Further risks associated with romance fraud can involve ‘sexting’ or the sharing of images to someone a victim may believe they can trust. Often the scammer is not who they say they are, and the images are then used as blackmail, often for financial gain.

We have recorded 32 reports of crimes related to romance fraud between April 2023 to February this year. 

As fraud is now the most common crime in the UK, the Government has this week launched a new national campaign called Stop! Think Fraud, which encourages people to learn more about the different fraud tactics so they can protect themselves from becoming a victim.

Detective Inspector James Day, from the force’s Serious Fraud Investigation Unit, said: “Unfortunately fraudulent activity and scams have become more sophisticated, and as a result we have seen many victims lose their savings and pensions.

“Dating and romance scammers lower their target’s defences by building an online relationship, then asking for large sums of money. Some are persistent and will continue to pressurise their victims until all is lost, and in some cases until even loans have been taken out.

“Our advice to you is to be wary of giving out personal information online as scammers will quickly use this to gain your trust and make conversation to get more from you. Never ever send money to someone you’ve never met, no matter how genuine they seem or what sad story they give you about their personal circumstances.

“Often romance fraud can be linked to other crime types and there is a chance that innocent victims giving their money to fraudsters may actually be committing offences themselves, such as money laundering or funding crime or terrorism.

“It’s important to be aware that not everyone is who they say they are.”

For more advice on how to protect yourself from fraud or how to report an incident to Action Fraud if you have been a victim, visit the Stop! Think Fraud website.