The statistics issued by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) show the UK public lost £34 million to ‘romance’ fraudsters in 2014, a 33% increase in fraud cases in compared to 2013.
Get Safe Online and Action Fraud are urging people to be careful with not just your heart but also your safety, if you do online dating.
The figures reveal that online dating fraud in the UK is on the rise, with a 33% increase in fraud cases in 2014 compared to 2013 and costing the UK public £34 million compared to £24.5 million in the previous year.
There is also a significant rise in reported fraud cases from April 2014 to May 2014, suggesting that in the blissful wake of Valentine’s Day people may become more susceptible to romance scams, letting their heart rule their head.
The figures also demonstrate exactly how and where fraudsters are choosing to exploit their victims. 54% of fraud sufferers paid by money transfer (E.g. Money Gram or Western Union) narrowly shadowed by payments taken directly from bank accounts, which was the payment method used by 37% of victims.
Please see our article on Romance Fraud – Not to Night Darling for details on how to recognize fraudsters and take preventative action.