Man, 45, faces £120,000 "romance fraud" charges

A man has been charged in connection with a £120,000 romance fraud and money laundering, police have said.

The 45-year-old has also been charged with offences under the Immigration Act.

He is expected to appear at Dundee Sheriff Court on Monday and a report has been submitted to the procurator fiscal.

Police have issued advice to anyone who is considering looking for potential partners online or referred to them through a third party.

Detective Inspector Iain McPhail, of the economic crime and financial investigation unit, said: If you are being referred to a potential partner by a third party, please ensure that they actually know that individual.

Take steps to verify that images you see of that person are actually real images of them and not taken from the internet to give you a positive impression of them.

Avoid giving away too many personal details when dating online. Revealing your full name, date of birth and home address may lead to your identity being stolen.

Never send or receive money or give away your bank details to someone you've only met online, no matter how much you trust them or believe their story.

Pick a reputable dating website and use the site's messaging service. Fraudsters want to quickly switch to social media or texting so there's no evidence of them asking you for money.''