Santander has teamed up with TV dating expert Anna Williamson to launch Love Hurts, a range of sweets that highlight the common phrases used by romance scammers to reel in their victims and steal their hearts and their cash. The new confectionary follows fresh research from 2,000 adults by Santander that shows almost a third (31%) of Brits have been targeted by a romance scammer. UK Finance data shows romance fraud increased last year with £31.3 million worth of romance scams reported in 2022, up from £30.9 million in 2021, and up from £17.8 million in 2020. Criminals aiming to exploit lonely love seekers know exactly what words to use to pull at heartstrings as more than four in five (83%) who fell victim said it was because of the clever language used, the way they were spoken to, or the intimate conversations they had with the scammer. 10 phrases to watch out for include: I’ve fallen for u My £££’s frozen I’ll pay u back I can’t video call We’re so alike Trust me Only u can help We’ll be married U know me Soz, I’m abroad Top tips on avoiding a romance scam include: · Online friendships are based on profile. It is important to check if the person you’re talking to is who they say they are. For example, you can check if profile photos are genuine by performing a reverse image search on a web search engine. This can find photos that have been taken from someone else. · Be on red alert if someone you’ve only met online asks you to lend them money, no matter how plausible their reason might seem. Try to remove the emotion from your decision-making and talk it through with someone else. · Never lie to your bank if they ask you questions about a payment you are making. We know the signs to look out for and our questions are there to help protect you.
