Bank issues romance scam warning with some people losing thousands to criminals
Santander has urged customers to carry out 'a few simple checks' when they first start speaking to someone online, with £3.8 million having been lost to romance scams in the last six months
by Catherine Addison-Swan, Vicky Shaw, PA · ChronicleLiveSantander has urged customers to carry out a few simple checks when speaking to people online to make sure they do not fall victim to a cruel romance scam.
The bank said that its UK customers lost a staggering £3.8 million in romance scams over the past six months, an increase of 27% compared with the previous half-year period. The average amount lost to fraudsters per customer was £4,500, with a wide range of people affected from ages 18 to 93.
In the 12 months running from August 2023 to August 2024, Santander customers lost £6,826,748 in total to romance scams. This tactic sees criminals go to great lengths to gain someone's trust and convince them that they are in a genuine relationship, only to dupe them into sending money by telling stories that are often highly emotive, such as claiming they need it for emergency medical care or to pay for transport costs to visit the victim.
The shocking statistics come despite nearly two-thirds (65%) of people surveyed by Santander saying they believe they would never become a victim of romance fraud. Meanwhile, half (50%) of customers said they have received unsolicited online romantic or flirtatious messages, which they suspected or have confirmed to be a scam.
Peter Staffell, a behavioural expert at Santander UK, said: "Scammers are experts at presenting themselves as someone you can trust, someone who 'gets' you. They play the long game, building a relationship before executing on their scam and, as our research shows, it's a natural instinct for many of us to willingly lend a financial hand to someone who we have formed an emotional bond with.
"Then they've gone. The scam is complete, and the impact extends far beyond the financial losses, leaving emotional scars and often people feeling more isolated than before."
He added: "You can take control though. A few simple checks when you first start to speak to someone, and before your emotions take hold, can reveal a lot about the person you're speaking to and save heartache further down the line."
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Here are some tips from Santander to stay protected from romance and friendship scams:
- Try to remove emotion from your decision-making. Be really careful if you are lending or giving someone money. No matter how urgent their reason might seem, it is important you think it through. Consider discussing it with a trusted friend or family member first.
- Pictures can be edited and fake profiles can easily be made. Performing a reverse image search online can show whether the photos have been taken from another website or social media platform.
- It could be a red flag if the person you have been talking to online will not video call or meet you in person. Fraudsters will make excuses about why this cannot happen or change plans to do so at the last minute.
- Never send money or give card details, online account details, or copies of important personal documents to anyone you have only met online.
Paul Gorton, a former contestant on BBC's The Traitors, also advised: "In my experience, it's surprisingly easy to build deep trust, especially when someone is charming and says all the right things. As we start to feel a connection, whether it’s real or not, we can end up overlooking red flags and ignore any warnings from others around us.
"Stay vigilant to spot a traitor, it'd be too easy if they simply messaged you out of the blue asking for your money. Approach any new relationship with cautious optimism, complete checks and having your wits about you at the start."
In addition, Action Fraud has a list of signs to look out for that could indicate a friend or family member may be involved in a romance scam:
- They may be very secretive about their relationship or provide excuses for why their online partner has not video called or met them in person. They might become hostile or angry, and withdraw from conversation when you ask any questions about their partner
- They may express very strong emotions and commitment to someone they have only just met
- They have sent, or are planning to send, money to someone they have not met face-to-face. They may take out loans or withdraw from their pension to send money.
Anyone who thinks they have been a victim of a romance scam is urged to contact their bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via actionfraud.police.uk. "Do not feel ashamed or embarrassed - you are not alone," the experts at Action Fraud said.