Nottinghamshire Police are advising people in Gedling borough to “swipe left” on Valentine’s Day to avoid falling victim to so-called ‘romance fraud’.
The warning comes as reports made to Action Fraud reveal a staggering £50,766,602 was lost to romance fraud in 2018 – an average of £11,145 per victim and a 27% increase on the previous year.
Romance fraud happens when a person thinks they have met the perfect partner through an online dating website, app, or through social media, but in fact a fraudster is using a fake profile to form a relationship with them.
They will gain the person’s trust and ask for money or enough personal information to steal the victim’s identity.
Statistics released this week reveal that many people across the UK continue to fall victim to this type of fraud, often with devastating consequences.
In 2018, 4,555 reports of romance fraud were made to Action Fraud, with victims reporting to have lost over £50 million.
Date Safe tips on how to avoid a #fauxmance
- Don’t rush into an online relationship – get to know the person, not the profile and ask plenty of questions.
- Analyse their profile and check the person is genuine by putting their name, profile pictures or any repeatedly used phrases and the term ‘dating scam’ into your search engine.
- Talk to your friends and family about your dating choices. Be wary of anyone who tells you not to tell others about them.
- Evade scammers by never sending money to, or sharing your bank details with, someone you’ve met online, no matter what reason they give or how long you’ve been speaking to them.
- Stay on the dating site messenger service until you’re confident the person is who they say they are. If you do decide to meet in person, make sure the first meeting is in a public place and let someone else know where you’re going to be.
