Northamptonshire expert warns of romance scams
A fifth of online daters have been asked for money by someone they met on the internet.
An expert from Northamptonshire is raising awareness of the numbers of people falling victim to romance fraud.
Statistics released this week show a fifth of online daters have been asked for money by someone they met on the internet.
Meanwhile 1 in 3 singles say they’ve encountered fake online dating profiles.
Over 7 million singles, admit they wouldn’t feel confident spotting a scam.
"You don't truly know ever who you are speaking to until you meet them."
Annya Burskys, is Head of Fraud Operations from the Nationwide at Moulton Park, she has this anti scam advice when it comes to finding love online:
"I'd always recommend that you do a reverse image search in Google of the picture of someone you are speaking to. Because the reverse image search will help you identify if the photo has been stolen, or lifted from someone else's dating profile."
She says risks are increased for romance scams, due to the fact so many people now use online dating apps.
"The fact that millions of people are now using online dating and it is one of the most common ways to meet people, does absolutely increase the risk, because people can hide behind an online persona. You don't truly know ever who you are speaking to until you meet them."
Fraud Protect and Prevent PC Joanne Barlow from Northants Police explains it's not normally via the victims where issues come to light:
"Quite often, we are alerted via banks of romance frauds by something called a Banking Protocol. Where somebody's gone into a bank and they try to withdraw an unusual amount, or there's been some suspicious activity in the bank, have invited them in and it's the bank that report direct to the police. So often we uncover romance frauds via banks, not via a victim ever coming forward and reporting it."
PC Barlow explains how heart breaking it can be to fall victim to romance scams:
"It's not the money, It's not the money, it's the emotional investment they've had with somebody for years and me going in, they're not going to believe me. The persons groomed them to turn them away from anybody in authority."
What advice is there to avoid romance scams?
Nationwide is urging online daters to stay alert and protect themselves by following these expert-backed tips:
- Be cautious of too-perfect profiles: If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Look out for overly flattering photos or inconsistent details in someone’s story.
- Watch out for "love bombing": Scammers often try to win over their targets quickly with overwhelming affection. Take your time to get to know the person and trust your instincts.
- Do a reverse image search: If you suspect a photo might be stolen, use tools like Google’s reverse image search to check its origin.
- Don’t send money to someone you haven’t met in person: Be especially cautious if someone you’ve just met online asks for money or favours, even if they claim to have an emergency.
- Report suspicious activity: If something doesn’t feel right, report the profile to the platform or dating app.
You can report romance scams to the Northamptonshire Police by calling Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or online at actionfraud.police.uk. You can also report anonymously to Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or online.