Romance Fraud - Beware!

The Consumers Association Which? recently reported that scammers who hide behind fake online dating profiles stole £30.9m in 2021, up 73% since 2020, yet figures from Action Fraud suggest victims lost a shocking £95.1m.

What is a Romance Scam?

A Romance Scam occurs when a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. Scammers will take advantage of people looking for companionship by pretending to be prospective companions. Requests for money by scammers after they have gained the trust of victims-whether through direct deposit, gift cards or credit card payments-are all red flags. Increasingly, romance scammers have tried to lure people into investment deals, including cryptocurrency.

Other Red Flags

• Early declaration of love or talk of a long-term relationship
• The person lives far away and plans to meet in person get cancelled
• The person tries to move the relationship too fast
• The person claims to be a victim of theft
• Requests to install dubious apps on your smartphone
• Requests by the person to communicate with him/her privately over Snapchat
• The profile picture, after a reverse image search, has been used before
• No credentials available for someone who claims to be a financial expert in investments including crypto assets

If you think you, a family member or friend has been a victim of Romance Fraud, please contact the police or Action Fraud or message us in confidence. Davidsons Forensic Accountants have considerable experience of investigating sensitively all types of Fraud.