By Bill Cunningham
Romance Fraud and its coercive control is currently very prevalent. Likely aligned to social isolation. However, it’s not just in lock-downs that lonely people of all ages can be ideal targets for defrauding.
Huge amounts of money are lost in this way. £70m reported in the last year. Plus there is an enormous emotional impact if and when the targeted person realises that it is fraud rather than a romance / friendship relation-ship.
The effect on the victim can be devastating, and though this type of very distressing fraud has been aired in the media, it is still happen-ing.
Not all cases come to light for some victims are too embarrassed to admit to their naivety, albeit that the fraudster has been extremely proficient in convincing their newly cultivated partner-to-be of their sincerity. It is a sophisti-cated scam, and many hours of careful re-search, much through social media, will have been done in victim selection.
A victim can also be so convinced of the sin-cerity of the romance and want it so much to be real that even family members and close friends will find it very difficult to convince otherwise. Photographs sent by the scammer could be of anyone.
Staring the victim in the face are tell-tale signs of this type of fraud.
Mostly the fraudster begins to ask for money either to visit the victim in the UK, or for medical fees or for an emergency that has arisen for them or their family. Or they may have lost their job due to the pandemic. Of course none of us should ever transfer money to a person met only online. And as soon as we are asked then alarm bells should ring. The sob story will be elaborate and the need for money time critical. Once the money has been transferred it will be gone for ever and very likely that tranche will be just the initial plea. Thereafter there will be another urgent need for additional monies to be sent. As in all scams if anything is too good to be true in realistic expectations then head should rule heart.
Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 is where to contact about.
If help wanted then contact Citizens Advice Consumer Service 0808 223 1133 https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/get-more-help/if-you-need-more-help-about-a-consumer-issue/ Also Scams Awareness Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/585664875410363 where members of the public can post infor-mation to warn others about the scams that they have come across.