What can you do if you are a victim of a romance scam?

What are romance scams?

Romance scams involve criminals deceiving people into sending money or giving them personal information by making them believe that they are in a genuine relationship. Romance scams are on the rise; between 2023 and 2024 there were over 8,000 reports of romance fraud made to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, amounting to over £94 million.

Criminals will work hard to win the trust and confidence of their victims, whether using their charm and/or an emotional backstory, or simply through intense contact over a period of time. Scams can be extremely elaborate, with fake tried-and-tested identities and convincing scenarios used to manipulate and exploit victims.

How do you spot a fraudster?

Romance fraudsters use a number of common methods to meet and then gain the trust of their victims:

• They will often use dating apps to make contact with potential victims. Victims also report receiving unsolicited messages on social media platforms.
• Wherever the first online meeting occurs, they will often attempt to move the line of communication to WhatsApp, Google Chat or Telegram, to escape detection.
• They will find excuses not to meet in person or to video-chat.
• They may express very strong emotions and commitment to the person they have only recently met, or they may seem very keen early on in the relationship.
• They will often appear attractive or a “good catch”. They will likely have a strong profile picture which may have been stolen from another person.
• They may reveal information about themselves early on in the relationship, such as about their homes, jobs or families. This information may be built upon and later form the basis of the request for money/information.
• They may claim that they are overseas. Common jobs are being in the military, medical jobs, and working in inaccessible or remote locations including on oil rigs or ships.
• They may tell the victim to keep the relationship private and not to discuss anything with friends and family. This element of secrecy will work to isolate the victim so that they do not confide in friends or family.

Being scammed for money or personal information

Once the relationship is established and they have won the victim’s trust and confidence, romance fraudsters will use a range of possible scenarios to perpetrate fraud:

• There will often be an emergency or time-critical situation in which the victim is manipulated into acting quickly without any time to think. It will most commonly be an emotive situation and the victim will be made to feel like they are doing the honourable thing. It might be a request for money or financial information (such as bank account details or credit card details) or personal identity information (such as passport or driving licence). Common scenarios involve: an urgent medical operation; an elderly family member requiring care; personal bankruptcy or an urgent debt situation; a police arrest in a foreign country requiring a bail payment; or being stranded abroad.
• Another scenario is an incredible investment opportunity that is simply too good to miss out on and which can mean the couple can build their lives together.
• Scammers may ask their victim to share explicit photos of themselves, only to then threaten to post them on social media platforms unless the victim sends money or personal information.
• Scammers may create an excuse to access a victim’s personal information (passport, driving licence) and then use it to commit identity fraud.
• Scammers may ask the victim to send gift cards/other money replacements or expensive gifts. Or they may claim that they have posted an expensive gift to the victim that the victim then needs to make a payment for, such as customs fees.

What can you do to stay safe from romance fraudsters?

Do:

• Be wary about people who want to move initial conversations to a different platform.
• Do your research on them – check the information they have given you for any signs that they are not a real person. Their profile or other photos may not be genuine; performing a reverse image search (using online tools such as Google or TinEye) can find photos that have been taken from somewhere, or someone, else.
• Be on guard if you receive money requests. It can be difficult to view things objectively if you believe you are romantically involved with a person.
• If you have any suspicions or doubts, speak to your family or friends to get their views or advice.

Don’t:

• Send them any money.
• Allow them access to your bank account.
• Transfer money on their behalf.
• Take a loan out for them.
• Provide details or copies of your personal documents such as passports or driving licences.
• Invest any money on their behalf or upon their advice.
• Purchase online gifts.
• Agree to receive and/or send parcels.

Recovering stolen funds

A fraud lawyer will work closely with investigators to establish what happened to your funds, and whether those stolen funds can be retrieved. If your stolen funds are able to be located, either in fiat currency or cryptocurrency (which is often the case), these may be able to be recovered through a civil legal procedure. The English courts are well equipped to assist victims. A freezing injunction may be able to be obtained, and delivery up orders over these assets, but it is fundamental to act quickly in order to trace and freeze any funds before they are moved out of reach. Speed is vital in these cases to increase your chances of recovery, and you should contact a fraud lawyer immediately to assess your chances of being able to recover the funds.

If you think you have been the victim of a romance fraud, please contact Louise Abbott.