Last updated:
4th August 2025
Romance fraud
Emotional manipulation through deception, resulting in financial loss
Romance fraud can cause significant emotional and psychological harm to victims.
Romance fraud commonly happens online but can happen in person. Usually the fraudster assumes a fake identity, gains the victim's trust and over a period of time convinces them to give them money. Criminals go to great lengths to convince the victim they are genuine, such as calling them every day, sending thoughtful and loving messages as if they are the perfect partner. Being duped and taken advantage of in this way is often devastating for the victim.
The criminal often isolates the victim from family and friends convincing them the family can’t be trusted and aren’t looking out for their best interests, when in fact the fraudster is deliberately making sure they can properly groom them without interference from concerned loved ones.
Examples of Romance fraud:
- Fraudster checks a status on FB to see a person is recently widowed, makes contact and becomes supportive and then eventually romantic, gains trust, then asks for money for a plane ticket to come over and be with them in person (but never arrives)
- Being asked by an online Boyfriend for money in order to send their son to join the Army, or they have been kidnapped, or they have lost their bank cars due to being robbed, or they can’t pay their rent
- Sextortion, where the victim is convinced to share explicit photos, when they victim does send photos, they are threatened with exposure to all of their contacts unless they send money
- Money Mule - being asked by online Girlfriend to accept money into their bank account because they are locked out of their own account, and then told to send the money on. Most victims unwittingly allow money that belongs to other fraud victims into their account then forward onwards to other accounts so it can’t be traced.
