Online Dating Fraud Warning
Merseyside Police are warning people to be wary of online dating fraud.
With Valentines day just around the corner, Merseyside Police are warning people to be wary of online dating fraud.
That's when people set up a fake profile to lure victims in, often using an attractive picture that isn't them.
Once they've gained the trust of their victim they start asking for money.
In the last year online dating fraud has cost victims in the UK around £27 million.
Detective Constable Jo Devers from Merseyside Police’s economic crime team said: “A lot of people now use the internet and social media to meet new friends or partners but sadly that is where they can also fall foul of fraudsters who will take advantage of them.
“Romance frauds are particularly unpleasant and upsetting offences. Not only can the victims lose a lot of money but they are also faced with the heart-breaking realisation that the person they thought they were forging a genuine relationship with online are actually using them for their own selfish gain.
“Sadly by the time someone has realised that the person they have been conversing with online are not who they say they are it is too late and the damage – both emotionally and financially – has already been done.” In December 2015 Jacqueline Whittle, 50, from Southport, was jailed for three years for online offences against five men.
Detective Constable Devers added: “The fact that a 50-year-old woman from Southport could successfully pose as a twenty-something woman from the United States – who herself is a victim of identity fraud – shows the dangers of sharing information over the Internet with someone you have never met. “I would urge everyone who uses the Internet for meeting new people to never share things like banking details with anyone they have not actually met and cannot possibly truly know, no matter what tragic story they tell you or what they appear to look like from their photos.
“My advice would be if something sounds too good to be true it probably is. If you are suspicious of someone’s actions or behaviour online then don’t send them money. If a person is genuine then they would understand your concerns.
“If someone believes they have fallen victim to any kind of fraud then I would urge them to contact action fraud via their website www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 101 or the confidential Crimestoppers line anonymously on 0800 555 111.”