Sadly this week we learnt that Victims of romance fraud were tricked out of £106m in past year.
Action Fraud, which published the figures, said it can have a serious impact on victims, “not just financially but emotionally, socially and even physically”.
But how does this happen ? Romance scams are often fraudulent schemes where a scammer creates a fake online profile to gain a person’s trust and affection, then manipulates them for financial gain.
Signs of a romance scam include:
Avoids meeting or video calls: They consistently cancel in-person meetings or refuse to video chat.
Suspicious profile: They use professional or blurry photos, have very little personal information, and few connections on social media.
Inconsistent stories: Their story changes over time or doesn’t add up, and they may have poor grammar and spelling despite claiming to be highly educated.
Love bombing: They use excessive flattery and declarations of love very early in the relationship to build trust quickly.
Asks for money: They invent emergencies, illnesses, or travel issues to solicit funds. They may also ask you to accept money into your account and then transfer it elsewhere, or to send money via gift cards.
One victim told BBC Radio London news “You see all the signs, but you are so emotionally attached. You are willing to lose the money, but you are not willing to lose the connection”
There are lots of ways you can practically protect yourself including:
Never send money: Do not send money, gift cards, or personal information to anyone you’ve only met online, especially if they’ve never met you in person.
Do your research: Do a reverse image search on their profile pictures to see if they are being used elsewhere. Look up the person’s details to see if they are consistent.
Stay on the platform: Be wary if they try to move your conversation to a different platform like email, text, or another messaging app. This helps keep conversations public and reportable.
Protect personal information: Be careful about sharing too many personal details online.
Trust your instincts: If something feels wrong, it probably is. Avoid engaging with someone who makes you feel pressured to act immediately or secretly.
Also importantly:
Listen to your friends. If you are striking up a relationship with someone on line – keep in close touch with your friends. And importantly be open to everything your friends have to say even if you don’t like it. They could be helping you save not only personal heartbreak but financial heartbreak.
(Source: BBC News 17th October 2025 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c24l5301gg8o)