Gwent loses more than half a million to dating fraud scams

With Valentine's Day just around the corner many people may be looking for that special someone to spend the day with – but caution should be taken to avoid being duped.

It has been revealed that Gwent residents lost more than half a million pounds per 100,000 people last year through dating fraud scams - the highest amount in Wales and the second higest in the UK, trumped only by Bedfordshire.

Almost £100 million was lost across the UK to romantic swindles in 2022 with Gwent losing £560,954 per 100,000 people according to data from scams.info

Anna's story:

One such victim was Anna (not her real name), a Gwent woman in her fifties who was tricked out of nearly £25,000 in a romantic scam.

Anna believed she was in a relationship with a man – who she met on a dating app – who was working aboard a ship.

They started messaging on WhatsApp and, after building her trust, he claimed to be struggling to access his money and asked her to help fund his flight to Wales be with her.

She kept sending him money and he kept making excuses; eventually her bank stopped her sending money and her family was notified. Read Anna’s story here.

What are the signs of a romance scam?

• You meet someone online and they declare strong feelings for you early in the relationship;
• They suggest moving the conversation away to a more private channel;
• Their profile on the internet dating website or social media page is inconsistent with what they tell you;
• There are spelling and grammar mistakes, inconsistencies in their stories and they make claims such as their camera isn’t working;
• They refuse to video call or meet you in person;
• Photos generally tend to be stolen from other people – a reverse Google image search can sometimes be used to locate the picture online;
• 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 - you may even be asked for access to your bank account or card;
• Upon questioning, the potential victim may be very secretive about their relationship or make excuses on behalf of their online partner. They might become hostile or angry and withdraw from the conversation when you ask questions about their partner.

Anyone who thinks they have been a victim of a romance scam should contact their bank immediately and report the scam to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or the police on 101.