DORSET Police has revealed almost £2 million was lost in romance scams across the county last year.
According to the UK’s national reporting centre, Action Fraud said romance scams involve people being duped into sending money to criminals who go to great lengths to gain their trust and convince them that they are in a genuine relationship.
They use language to manipulate, persuade and exploit so that requests for money do not raise alarm bells. 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 the victim if they are overseas. Scammers will often build a relationship with their victims over time.
A spokesman from Dorset Police said: “There were 111 reports of Romance Fraud in our area between November 2020 and October 2021 with losses of £1.9 million.
“Nationally, there were 8,863 reports with losses totalling £91.9 million.
“Stop and think before parting with your money.”
To report a crime, visit: www.actionfraud.police.uk.
