London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Sep 13, 2025

More than 1,000 romance fraud incidents in London cost victims nearly £15m

More than 1,000 romance fraud incidents in London cost victims nearly £15m

Londoners were conned out of millions of pounds in 2022, figures show
More than 1,000 incidents of romance fraud totalling nearly £15 million in losses were recorded in London last year, new figures show.

Across the UK victims have been conned out of £317 million over the past four years, Action Fraud figures released by the Liberal Democrats reveal, and money being made by con artists is on the rise.

Incidents have skyrocketed from 5,700 in 2019 to almost 8,000 last year.

Between January 2019 and December 2022, a total of 29,408 romance frauds were reported to local police forces, costing £316,878,696 in financial losses, The Telegraph reported.

Five police forces saw more than £10 million lost to romance fraud between 2019 and 2022, including London Metropolitan, Kent and Sussex.

Romance fraud usually involves a person using a fake online profile to form a relationship with victims before taking their personal information and large sums of money.

A high profile case was explored in the Netflix series The Tinder Swindler last year, which followed a group of women tracking down the jet-setting, Instagramming romantic scammer who cheated them out of millions of dollars.

Lib Dems home affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael is calling for tougher repercussions for romance fraudsters.

“The Government is completely failing to crack down on these cruel online scams on social media or online dating websites,” The Telegraph reported the MP saying.

“Fraudsters are being allowed to get away with stealing millions of pounds while victims are denied justice.”

Mr Carmichael called for a dedicated Online Crime Agency to be established and a real-time scam warning system.

A Home Office spokesperson said romance fraud is “sickening crime” which causes psychological harm and “leaves victims feeling embarrassed and exploited”.

It said £400 million over the next three years will be used to crack down on fraud and economic crime, and that a Fraud Strategy would be published shortly.

People aged 51 to 65 accounted for nearly half of the amount of money reported lost to romance fraud in 2022, according to TSB.

Meanwhile the average financial loss for victims of romance scams is nearly £12,000, according to data from Nationwide Building Society.

Typical losses to romance scams have more than doubled, from £4,720 in 2021 to £11,796 in 2022, it said.

Men falling victim lost £9,057 on average to such scams last year and women lost £14,803 typically, according to the society.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
×