FEBRUARY is the month of romance and dating online is one of the most popular ways to meet somebody these days, unfortunately scammers see this as an easy way to con you out of your money.

They don’t just use dating pages, they will frequently engage with their victims through online gaming sites and social media.

Criminals will build a relationship, quickly moving the messaging from the initial site to private messaging, this enables them to continue their relationship (grooming) with you even if their profile is identified as fraudulent and taken down.

They will flatter you and convince you that they are in love with you, eventually asking for money for a family emergency or to come and visit you so that you can be together – this will never happen – there will always be a reason why they can't and an excuse for you to send more money.

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These are very emotive scams and can target the most vulnerable people

Remember

  • Stay on the site – Never send money to someone you haven’t met before or receive or transfer money on their behalf.
  • Talk to family and friends even if the other party is telling you to keep the relationship a secret.
  • Don’t be convinced by pictures – these may have been taken from somewhere else on the internet and you can check by doing a reverse image search.

Reporting a Scam

  • For advice on scams call - Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline: 0808 250 5050
  • To report a scam call - Action Fraud: 0300 123 2040
  • For more information on scams visit www.iwasp.org.uk