February 11th 2016
Online dating fraud in the UK cost victims a heart-breaking £27 million last year, according to the latest stats from Get Safe Online and the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB)*. Over 2,700 online dating related crimes were reported to the police over 12 months with the average loss standing at £10,000. However, the actual number of crimes is thought to be considerably higher, with victims not reporting them owing to embarrassment.
– Victims of ‘romance’ scams lost an average of £10,000 to fraudsters
– 62% of all victims aged between 40-69 account for over £16 million of total losses
– Two thirds of scams originate on dating sites and a quarter via social media
Almost two thirds (62%) of all victims are aged between 40-69 accounting for £16 million of the total losses. People aged between 50-59 are the most likely victims accounting for a quarter of all frauds and losing just over £6 million. Although those aged between 40-49 accounted for less of the reported fraud, (22%) overall losses were greater at £8 million.
Almost two thirds (64%) of all romance scams orinignated on dating sites, followed by social media (25%) and 10% via email. 2% of reported dating frauds orinigated via contact made on dating apps.
Tony Neate, CEO of Get Safe Online commented: “Online dating can be a great way to meet that special someone. However, it doesn’t hurt to place a little more caution when using these sites to start talking to someone, just as you would if you met a stranger in a bar or at a party."
He continued “What’s frustrating is that there are a minority of people who use online dating as a forum to target vulnerable people, knowing if they invest a lot of time into building a relationship with someone, they could potentially steal a lot of money. This is demonstrated by the huge amount lost to online dating related crimes last year, with the average loss standing at a worrying £10,000. The financial loss is one thing, but it’s the emotional impact this sort of crime has which is severe. When someone places a lot of trust and faith in a person who they think they know, they often don’t separate their emotional feelings from rationale. Often when victims do start to suspect something isn’t quite right, they’re already in deep, so it’s extremely easy to ignore those little niggles of doubt and choose to trust someone – it’s this factor which online criminals exploit."
“It’s important to remember that it’s highly unlikely anyone legitimate would ask for any kind of financial assistance for whatever reason", he concluded. "Plus, if there are any immediate doubts, speak to a family member or friend to get a second, more objective opinion. If someone is keen to take their contact off the dating site very quickly, this could be a sign that they have something to hide. By following these steps, we hope we can put a stop to this targeted and emotional form of online crime.”
'The Police National Coordinator for Economic Crime, Commander Chris Greany from City of London Police said: “Romance fraudsters are using every method available to exploit people looking for love – including dating websites, social media and direct emails. These heartless criminals will specifically target those who they deem to be vulnerable and most likely to fall for their scams. Our intelligence tells us that people aged 50-59 are the most likely to become a victim of dating fraud and therefore need to be especially careful when going online in search of a partner."
Commander Greaney continued: “Key advice to follow which will help you stay safe includes never sending funds to someone you have never met. If you’re in two minds always consult with a trusted friend or family member who will be able to view the situation objectively and provide another opinion on the situation. It is also very important that if you think you are being targeted or have been a victim of dating fraud to report to Action Fraud. Sharing this information will help us identify and track down these heartless criminals who have absolutely no regard for people’s emotional or financial well being”.
Tell-tale signs your online date may be a fraudster:
· They want to communicate with you through instant messaging and texts, rather than through the dating website or chat room where you met
– They ask you lots of questions about yourself, but don’t tell you much about themselves
– They don’t answer basic questions about where they live and work
– Their profile picture is too perfect – for example they look like an actor or Miss World titleholder
– They start asking you to send them money using a number of different scenarios such as:
– Claiming to be military personnel based overseas who require funds for flights home or early discharge from the forces
– Citing medical related issues they need money for such as a sudden need for surgery, either for the fraudster or the fraudster’s family member
– They’ve arranged to visit you but need money to pay travel costs
We recommend the following tips to make sure you’re dating safely online:
– Trust your instincts – if you think something feels wrong, it probably is
– Choose a site that will protect your anonymity until you choose to reveal personal information and that will enforce its policies against inappropriate use
– Do not post personal information, such as phone numbers, on dating sites
– Never send money or give credit card or online account details to anyone you don’t know and trust
– Wait until you feel comfortable with an individual before telling them things like your phone number, place of work or address
– Be extremely wary about removing clothes or doing other things in front of your webcam that could be used against you – even if you think you know the other party
– Use a dating site that offers the ability to email prospective dates using a service that conceals both parties’ true email addresses
– Set up a separate email account that does not use your real name
– Pick a user name that does not include any personal information. For example, “joe_glasgow” or “jane_liverpool” would be bad choices
– Finally, meet for the first few times in a safe place with plenty of people around, and tell a family member or friend where you are
If you think you have been a victim of fraud you should report it to Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud reporting centre by calling 0300 123 20 40 or by visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk. For further advice on how to stay safe online, please have a look around this website.
* Crimes reported to the NFIB between 12 months 1st Nov14 – 31st Oct15
