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Romance Fraud

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The Metropolitan Police, in collaboration with West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit and the City of London Police, are launching a national awareness campaign to tackle romance fraud; a crime where victims are deceived into fake relationships and socially engineered to hand over money or personal information.

Action fraud reported losses of £106 million to romance fraud in 2024-25; 18% more than 2023-24. The average loss was £11,222 per victim. There were 9% more reports than the previous year (2023-24).

A new video series features victim accounts and crime prevention advice on identifying the signs of fraud before it causes emotional and financial harm.

Sarah’s story

Nahaza’s story

Diana’s story

ALWAYS:

  • Be wary of revealing personal information about yourself online
  • Remain on the dating site’s messaging platform if contact was via a dating site
  • Remember that anyone can pretend to be anyone they want to be online
  • Be wary if you are encouraged to keep things from your family and friends
  • Be wary of anyone asking lots of questions about you but not revealing much about themselves.

STOP: Taking a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information could keep you safe.

THINK: Could it be fake? It’s ok to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you.

FRAUD: Contact your bank immediately if you think you’ve become the victim of a fraud and report it to Action Fraud.

NEVER:

No matter how long you’ve been speaking to someone online and how much you trust them and even if you’ve met in person:

  • Never send them any money
  • Never allow them access to your bank account
  • Never transfer money on their behalf
  • Never take a loan out for them
  • Never provide copies of your personal documents such as passports or driving licenses
  • Never invest your own money on their behalf or on their advice
  • Never purchase and send the codes on gift cards from Amazon or iTunes
  • Never agree to receive or send any parcels on their behalf (such as mobile phones or laptops)
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