Romance fraud on the rise in UK amid coronavirus pandemic
Online dating applications
Action Fraud, the UK centre for reporting cybercrime and fraud, said on Thursday that between August 2019 and August 2020, losses reported by victims amounted to $86,242,444.
Millions of pounds have been lost to ‘romance fraud’ when people confined to spells of isolation during the coronavirus pandemic turn to online dating and end up handing over money after fraudsters gain their trust and ask for help in non-existing emergencies.
From June to August, the centre received more than 600 reports per month for romance fraud, indicating the victims may have met, and begun talking to, romance fraudsters during the lockdown caused by the pandemic.
Diana Fawcett, chief executive of charity Victim Support, said: "Lockdown restrictions meant people could not meet in person for a number of months, which led to many seeking to form new connections online.
Romance fraud, or dating fraud, occurs when people think they have met the perfect partner online. They gain trust over a number of weeks or months and have the victims believe that they are in a loving, caring relationship. Fraudsters may be based anywhere across the globe.
The centre launched a multi-agency campaign throughout October to raise awareness of romance fraud and provide clear and unambiguous protection advice to the public, following a 26 per centrise in reports in the past year.
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