Romance scams — in which fraudsters latch on to people looking for love — rose by over a fifth in 2023, underlining the growing appeal of this highly manipulative form of fraud to criminals.
Fraudsters often used fake social media pictures and profiles over a long period of time to lure victims. They may make excuses for not being able to meet in person or show their face on camera, but will ask the victim for money under the pretence of needing it for family issues, bills or to travel to meet the victim.
According to trade body UK Finance, these scams can “cause psychological harm and lead to people losing their confidence, their trust, and their sense of security”.
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