Instasham: Fraudulent investments being advertised on social media
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Statistics released in a new report by the #DateSafe working group show that the UK is continuing to lose huge amounts of money to romance fraud.
The group includes Victim Support, Get Safe Online, City of London Police, London Metropolitan Police (FALCON), Age UK and the Online Dating Association (ODA).
The statistics show:
- In 2017, 3557 romance frauds were reported nationally, averaging 10 reports a day
- Brits were defrauded out of a staggering £41 million due to romance fraud in 2017
- On average victims lose a shocking £11,500 – over two fifths of the average annual salary
- Almost half (43%) of victims indicated that it had a ‘significant’ impact on their health or financial wellbeing
- A further 18% stated the impact was severe and received medical treatment or were at risk of bankruptcy as a result
- Those who fall victim to these frauds are almost twice as likely to be women (63 per cent compared with 37 per cent of men)
- Victims are usually in their forties (22 per cent) or fifties (25 per cent) - only 13 per cent of the reported frauds impacted those under 30
Evidence also suggests these numbers do not accurately represent the true scale of the problem due to the embarrassment felt by some victims of fraud.
Our article containing advice and tips regarding online romance scams can be found here.
Diana Fawcett, VS's Chief Officer, said: “Dating fraud can have devastating consequences for victims, which often go beyond the financial impact, affecting them emotionally and psychologically.
“We know that people often feel ashamed or embarrassed but what is important for them to know there is help and support available to them. We offer confidential practical and emotional help, whether or not the incident has been reported to the police, to help people move beyond the crime and begin to rebuild their lives.”
Anyone affected by online romance scams should report the issues to the Police. You can get support for this issue from Warwickshire Victim Support on 01926 682 693.
