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Romance Fraud

Romance fraud has become one of the UK’s most damaging forms of fraud, combining emotional manipulation with financial exploitation. Unlike many conventional scams, romance fraud can develop over weeks, months or even years, with criminals deliberately building trust and creating what appears to be a genuine romantic relationship.

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Romance Fraud

For someone who suspects that the person they are speaking to is not who they claim to be, the situation can be extremely difficult. There may be questions about their identity, their relationship status, their employment, their finances, their location or their intentions.

At BlackRoot Intelligence & Investigations, we provide discreet private investigation and intelligence services for individuals who need to establish the facts.

What is romance fraud?

Romance fraud occurs when someone creates or maintains a false romantic relationship in order to manipulate another person, usually for financial or personal gain.

A fraudster may create a convincing dating profile using photographs, employment details and personal information belonging to another person. They may then establish contact through a dating website, social media platform, messaging application or another online service.

How common is romance fraud in the UK?

According to figures published by the City of London Police in May 2026, 10,784 romance fraud reports were made to Report Fraud, with victims losing more than £102 million. The average reported loss was approximately £9,500 per victim, although some individual losses were substantially higher.

The Government has also confirmed that, in the year ending September 2025, 10,393 of 321,025 reports to Action Fraud were categorised as dating scams – approximately 3% of all reports.

However, these figures should not be interpreted as the percentage chance that an individual will become a victim of romance fraud.

There is no reliable UK-wide percentage that tells an individual their personal probability of being targeted. It is also significantly underreported. The National Crime Agency estimates that only around 14% of fraud cases are reported to Report Fraud or the police, meaning official figures are likely to represent only part of the problem.

The important point is that it is not a niche problem affecting a particular type of person. Anyone using dating websites, social media or online messaging platforms can potentially become a target.

10 point romance fraud checklist

If you are concerned about someone you have met online, consider the following:

1. Have you actually met them in person?
Repeated excuses for avoiding an in-person meeting should be treated seriously.

2. Have they avoided video calls?
A refusal to speak face-to-face may indicate that the person is not who they claim to be.

3. Do their photographs appear elsewhere online?
Reverse-image searches can identify photographs that have been copied from other websites or profiles.

4. Have they moved you away from the dating platform?
Fraudsters may quickly encourage communication through WhatsApp, email or other messaging services.

5. Have they asked for money?
Any request for money should be treated as a significant warning sign.

6. Have they mentioned investments or cryptocurrency?
Romance fraud can overlap with investment fraud, with criminals using emotional relationships to persuade victims to invest.

7. Do their personal details contradict each other?
Check names, locations, employment history and other information for inconsistencies.

8. Are you being asked to keep the relationship secret?
Secrecy can prevent friends and family from identifying warning signs.

9. Does their online identity appear unusually limited?
A person may have a convincing dating profile but very little independently verifiable information.

10. Do you feel that something does not add up?
Your concerns should not be dismissed simply because the relationship feels genuine.

The BlackRoot romance fraud investigation profile

Where concerns remain after your own checks, a private investigation can provide a more structured examination of the available information.

How BlackRoot Intelligence & Investigations can help

At BlackRoot Intelligence & Investigations, we provide discreet intelligence and private investigation services for individuals who need answers.

Our investigations can be particularly useful where you are concerned that someone:

Is using a false identity.
Is concealing their true relationship status.
Has provided misleading information about their employment or background.
Is operating multiple dating profiles.
May be attempting to obtain money through deception.
Has an unexplained online or corporate history.
Is concealing assets, addresses or relationships.
May not be the person they claim to be.

We use a combination of open-source intelligence, digital research, corporate intelligence, property intelligence and other lawful investigative techniques to establish a clearer picture.

Every case is different. Before commencing an investigation, we can discuss your circumstances, identify the appropriate scope and provide a fixed quotation.

Need a free quotation?

Call our experts: 0330 043 5407 Email now: enquiries@black-root.com

Or fill out the form and one of our staff will reply as soon as possible

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