It may be a time for romance for some, but as Valentine’s Day arrives, Cambridgeshire police are warning the public of romance fraud.
Victims across the county lost £558,026 last year due to romance fraud, the youngest of those being 18-years-old.
Romance fraud is when fraudsters target victims through online dating sites or social media to form a relationship, before gaining their victim's trust and ask them for money or personal information to steal their identity.
Helen O'Driscoll, crime reduction officer, said: "Last year, more than £68million was lost to romance fraud in the UK. Romance fraud not only has the potential for victims to lose vast amounts of money, but the emotional impact can be even more difficult to come to terms with."
Officers will be joined by three Cambridgeshire victims of romance fraud and Tony Neate, CEO of online safety source Get Safe Online, on the force's Facebook page at 10.30am today to discuss the crime and how to spot the signs.
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