Romance fraud

What is a romance fraud?

Romance fraud is when you are convinced to make a payment to someone you have met online, through social media, a dating platform or a gaming site under false pretences.


These criminals create fake profiles and build a relationship with someone they believe will give them money, this is known as catfishing. They often create fake profiles on social media and look for profiles or people who are widowed or divorced.


They go to great lengths to gain your trust and convince you that you’re in a genuine relationship. They ask you for money, using manipulative language, persuasion or exploitation. These requests might be highly emotive, such as criminals claiming they need money for emergency medical care, or to pay for transport costs to visit you if they are overseas.


How to spot romance fraud:


1. Someone claims to have strong feelings for you after a few conversations.
2. The person you are speaking to asks to chat to you on a private channel such as email, phone or instant messenger, they suggest moving the conversation away from the dating website or social media to a more private channel such as email, phone or instant messaging.
3. The persons profile isn’t consistent with what they tell you in conversation.
4. The person you chat to has a lot of spelling and grammar mistakes.
5. The person you are talking to refuses to video call, claiming their camera is not working.
6. They refuse to meet you in person.
7. Photos tend to be stolen from other people.
8. They ask you for money even though you have not met face to face.
9. They may also ask for you to transfer money, purchase gift cards or presents. 
10. You're asked to send money to someone you have not met face to face - either through bank/money transfer or through the purchase of gift cards or presents such as phones and laptops.
11. You may even be asked to provide them with access to your bank account or card.
12. The person you are speaking to tries to persuade you to make an investment, often saying it is easy or guarantees high returns. 

If you are worried a friend or family member is a victim of romance fraud, some signs may include:

• They are secretive about their relationship after you question them.
• They provide excuses for why they have not met their online partner on a video call or in person.
• They become hostile or angry when you question them.