#romancefraud — Public Fediverse posts

Romance scam victims left devastated as dating fraud surges across South Wales

New figures show an 18% rise in dating scams reported to South Wales Police over the past three years — and a further 16% increase in the Dyfed‑Powys area — as fraudsters exploit loneliness, trust and the search for companionship.

Hundreds caught up in scams that ‘destroy confidence’

Across South Wales, 448 people reported being tricked by romance scammers since 2022. In Dyfed‑Powys, 294 victims came forward over the same period.

Behind each statistic is a personal story: people who believed they had found a genuine connection, only to discover they were being manipulated for money.

Experts say victims often lose far more than cash — many are left ashamed, isolated and afraid to trust again.

More than £100m stolen in a single year

Across the UK, dating scammers stole a staggering £106m in 2024/25 alone. That’s up from £92.8m just two years earlier.

Reports have risen by more than 1,400 cases a year since 2022, with 9,449 victims coming forward in the most recent financial year. But specialists warn the true figure is likely far higher, as many people never report what happened to them.

Men increasingly targeted

While women continue to report around 3,500 cases a year, the number of male victims has risen sharply — up 7.5% since 2022. Reports from men climbed from 3,984 to 4,296 over three years.

Cases involving people who did not specify their gender surged by more than 300%.

Younger and middle‑aged adults most at risk

Despite the stereotype of older victims, the data shows romance fraud affects all ages.

More than 17% of cases involved people aged 20–29, while 31% were reported by those aged 40–59. Just 11% of victims were aged 70 or over.

‘Devious manipulators’ exploiting trust

Stuart Lythgoe, a fraud‑recovery specialist at Romance Scams Advice, said the emotional toll can be severe.

Stuart Lythgoe said:

“Scammers prey on the trust of vulnerable people, and with huge sums of money often at stake, the results can be psychologically damaging as well as financially harmful.”

He urged people to be cautious when asked for money by someone they have never met in person.

Stuart Lythgoe said:

“People should always be wary when sending money, particularly to anyone asking for money who they have never met, as the risk of fraud is increased dramatically.”

He said recovering lost funds is an important part of holding perpetrators to account and helping victims rebuild their lives.

More Police & Crime news

Latest crime coverage
The latest police appeals, investigations and court stories from across the region.

South Wales Police news
Crime, appeals and updates from the South Wales Police area.

Dyfed-Powys Police news
Coverage of incidents and investigations across the Dyfed-Powys force area.

Fraud and scam alerts
Updates on fraud cases, warnings and consumer protection advice.

She thought she was dating a celebrity.
They video-called, messaged, and planned a future together.
But it wasn’t real — it was an AI deepfake.
In 2025, a woman lost over $80,000, even selling her condo, after scammers used AI-generated videos and voice clones to impersonate actor Steve Burton.
If this helped you, like, share, and follow — so more people don’t get fooled by deepfakes.
#AIscams #Deepfakes #RomanceFraud #IdentityTheft #AIawareness

🎣 Ah, the noble art of scam-baiting! Our hero bravely navigates the treacherous seas of romance fraud, valiantly wielding #sarcasm as his only weapon 🏆. Meanwhile, the rest of us are left with the real question: who’s the bigger con artist — the scammers, or this guy wasting our time with his self-righteous escapades? 🙄
https://www.bentasker.co.uk/posts/blog/security/seducing-a-romance-scammer.html #scambaiting #romancefraud #humor #conartists #HackerNews #ngated

🎣 Ah, the noble art of scam-baiting! Our hero bravely navigates the treacherous seas of romance fraud, valiantly wielding #sarcasm as his only weapon 🏆. Meanwhile, the rest of us are left with the real question: who’s the bigger con artist — the scammers, or this guy wasting our time with his self-righteous escapades? 🙄
https://www.bentasker.co.uk/posts/blog/security/seducing-a-romance-scammer.html #scambaiting #romancefraud #humor #conartists #HackerNews #ngated

🎣 Ah, the noble art of scam-baiting! Our hero bravely navigates the treacherous seas of romance fraud, valiantly wielding #sarcasm as his only weapon 🏆. Meanwhile, the rest of us are left with the real question: who’s the bigger con artist — the scammers, or this guy wasting our time with his self-righteous escapades? 🙄
https://www.bentasker.co.uk/posts/blog/security/seducing-a-romance-scammer.html #scambaiting #romancefraud #humor #conartists #HackerNews #ngated

🎣 Ah, the noble art of scam-baiting! Our hero bravely navigates the treacherous seas of romance fraud, valiantly wielding #sarcasm as his only weapon 🏆. Meanwhile, the rest of us are left with the real question: who’s the bigger con artist — the scammers, or this guy wasting our time with his self-righteous escapades? 🙄
https://www.bentasker.co.uk/posts/blog/security/seducing-a-romance-scammer.html #scambaiting #romancefraud #humor #conartists #HackerNews #ngated

My Scammer Girlfriend: Baiting a Romance Fraudster

https://www.bentasker.co.uk/posts/blog/security/seducing-a-romance-scammer.html

#HackerNews #MyScammerGirlfriend #RomanceFraud #BaitingScammers #OnlineSafety #ScammerAwareness

My Scammer Girlfriend: Baiting a Romance Fraudster

https://www.bentasker.co.uk/posts/blog/security/seducing-a-romance-scammer.html

#HackerNews #MyScammerGirlfriend #RomanceFraud #BaitingScammers #OnlineSafety #ScammerAwareness

My Scammer Girlfriend: Baiting a Romance Fraudster

https://www.bentasker.co.uk/posts/blog/security/seducing-a-romance-scammer.html

#HackerNews #MyScammerGirlfriend #RomanceFraud #BaitingScammers #OnlineSafety #ScammerAwareness

My Scammer Girlfriend: Baiting a Romance Fraudster

https://www.bentasker.co.uk/posts/blog/security/seducing-a-romance-scammer.html

#HackerNews #MyScammerGirlfriend #RomanceFraud #BaitingScammers #OnlineSafety #ScammerAwareness

New #Blog post - My #scammer girlfriend: baiting a romance fraudster

Warning, this is a **long** post.

I decided to fall for a #RomanceFraud campaign so that I could see what #SocialEngineering techniques they used and what data _they_ leaked.

They spent 3 weeks building the storyline + relationship before eventually asking for money

https://www.bentasker.co.uk/posts/blog/security/seducing-a-romance-scammer.html

#infosec

New #Blog post - My #scammer girlfriend: baiting a romance fraudster

Warning, this is a **long** post.

I decided to fall for a #RomanceFraud campaign so that I could see what #SocialEngineering techniques they used and what data _they_ leaked.

They spent 3 weeks building the storyline + relationship before eventually asking for money

https://www.bentasker.co.uk/posts/blog/security/seducing-a-romance-scammer.html

#infosec

New #Blog post - My #scammer girlfriend: baiting a romance fraudster

Warning, this is a **long** post.

I decided to fall for a #RomanceFraud campaign so that I could see what #SocialEngineering techniques they used and what data _they_ leaked.

They spent 3 weeks building the storyline + relationship before eventually asking for money

https://www.bentasker.co.uk/posts/blog/security/seducing-a-romance-scammer.html

#infosec

New #Blog post - My #scammer girlfriend: baiting a romance fraudster

Warning, this is a **long** post.

I decided to fall for a #RomanceFraud campaign so that I could see what #SocialEngineering techniques they used and what data _they_ leaked.

They spent 3 weeks building the storyline + relationship before eventually asking for money

https://www.bentasker.co.uk/posts/blog/security/seducing-a-romance-scammer.html

#infosec

New #Blog post - My #scammer girlfriend: baiting a romance fraudster

Warning, this is a **long** post.

I decided to fall for a #RomanceFraud campaign so that I could see what #SocialEngineering techniques they used and what data _they_ leaked.

They spent 3 weeks building the storyline + relationship before eventually asking for money

https://www.bentasker.co.uk/posts/blog/security/seducing-a-romance-scammer.html

#infosec

Weekend call out for participation for my #vr #romancefraud masters project! If you have a VR headset and can run SteamVR and an hour to spare, I'd really appreciate it 💜
you can download the game here: https://tavicodes.itch.io/masters-project 💔
#gamedev #cybercrime

Weekend call out for participation for my #vr #romancefraud masters project! If you have a VR headset and can run SteamVR and an hour to spare, I'd really appreciate it 💜
you can download the game here: https://tavicodes.itch.io/masters-project 💔
#gamedev #cybercrime

Weekend call out for participation for my #vr #romancefraud masters project! If you have a VR headset and can run SteamVR and an hour to spare, I'd really appreciate it 💜
you can download the game here: https://tavicodes.itch.io/masters-project 💔
#gamedev #cybercrime

Before and After! ​:ablobattention:​
And with that, my Master's Project "Raising Awareness of Romance Scams via an Immersive Virtual Reality Game" is ready for participants! If you want to take part, you can download the game here but please begin filling out the questionnaire before you play! (the link can be found in READ-ME-FIRST.txt)
Boosting is greatly appreciated! #gamedev #romancefraud #cybercrime #vr

Before and After! ​:ablobattention:​
And with that, my Master's Project "Raising Awareness of Romance Scams via an Immersive Virtual Reality Game" is ready for participants! If you want to take part, you can download the game here but please begin filling out the questionnaire before you play! (the link can be found in READ-ME-FIRST.txt)
Boosting is greatly appreciated! #gamedev #romancefraud #cybercrime #vr

Before and After! ​:ablobattention:​
And with that, my Master's Project "Raising Awareness of Romance Scams via an Immersive Virtual Reality Game" is ready for participants! If you want to take part, you can download the game here but please begin filling out the questionnaire before you play! (the link can be found in READ-ME-FIRST.txt)
Boosting is greatly appreciated! #gamedev #romancefraud #cybercrime #vr

California regulator warns of 17 crypto websites suspected of fraud - The last time the DFPI sent out such a large batch of crypto scam... - https://jp.cointelegraph.com/news/california-regulator-warns-of-17-crypto-websites-suspected-of-fraud #pigslaughteringscams #californiadfpi #romancescams #romancefraud #cryptoscams

California regulator warns of 17 crypto websites suspected of fraud - The last time the DFPI sent out such a large batch of crypto scam... - https://jp.cointelegraph.com/news/california-regulator-warns-of-17-crypto-websites-suspected-of-fraud #pigslaughteringscams #californiadfpi #romancescams #romancefraud #cryptoscams

California regulator warns of 17 crypto websites suspected of fraud - The last time the DFPI sent out such a large batch of crypto scam... - https://jp.cointelegraph.com/news/california-regulator-warns-of-17-crypto-websites-suspected-of-fraud #pigslaughteringscams #californiadfpi #romancescams #romancefraud #cryptoscams

California regulator warns of 17 crypto websites suspected of fraud - The last time the DFPI sent out such a large batch of crypto scam... - https://jp.cointelegraph.com/news/california-regulator-warns-of-17-crypto-websites-suspected-of-fraud #pigslaughteringscams #californiadfpi #romancescams #romancefraud #cryptoscams

California regulator warns of 17 crypto websites suspected of fraud - The last time the DFPI sent out such a large batch of crypto scam... - https://cointelegraph.com/news/california-regulator-warns-of-17-crypto-websites-suspected-of-fraud #pigslaughteringscams #californiadfpi #romancescams #romancefraud #cryptoscams

California regulator warns of 17 crypto websites suspected of fraud - The last time the DFPI sent out such a large batch of crypto scam... - https://cointelegraph.com/news/california-regulator-warns-of-17-crypto-websites-suspected-of-fraud #pigslaughteringscams #californiadfpi #romancescams #romancefraud #cryptoscams

California regulator warns of 17 crypto websites suspected of fraud - The last time the DFPI sent out such a large batch of crypto scam... - https://cointelegraph.com/news/california-regulator-warns-of-17-crypto-websites-suspected-of-fraud #pigslaughteringscams #californiadfpi #romancescams #romancefraud #cryptoscams

California regulator warns of 17 crypto websites suspected of fraud - The last time the DFPI sent out such a large batch of crypto scam... - https://cointelegraph.com/news/california-regulator-warns-of-17-crypto-websites-suspected-of-fraud #pigslaughteringscams #californiadfpi #romancescams #romancefraud #cryptoscams

California regulator warns of 17 crypto websites suspected of fraud

https://cointelegraph.com/news/california-regulator-warns-of-17-crypto-websites-suspected-of-fraud

#Pigslaughteringscams #CaliforniaDFPI #Romancescams #Romancefraud #Cryptoscams

California regulator warns of 17 crypto websites suspected of fraud

https://cointelegraph.com/news/california-regulator-warns-of-17-crypto-websites-suspected-of-fraud

#Pigslaughteringscams #CaliforniaDFPI #Romancescams #Romancefraud #Cryptoscams

In this episode of #TheComfortableSpot #Podcast my guest is author Becky Holmes. Becky is an influencer who works tirelessly to expose online perpetrators of #RomanceFraud. Romance fraud is when somebody uses the ruse of a relationship to extort money. Through social media Becky publishes her interactions with the perpetrators and exposes their false identities in an effort to raise awareness of this growing problem.

https://thecomfortablespotpodcast.com/2022/10/24/becky-holmes/

In this episode of #TheComfortableSpot #Podcast my guest is author Becky Holmes. Becky is an influencer who works tirelessly to expose online perpetrators of #RomanceFraud. Romance fraud is when somebody uses the ruse of a relationship to extort money. Through social media Becky publishes her interactions with the perpetrators and exposes their false identities in an effort to raise awareness of this growing problem.

https://thecomfortablespotpodcast.com/2022/10/24/becky-holmes/

In this episode of #TheComfortableSpot #Podcast my guest is author Becky Holmes. Becky is an influencer who works tirelessly to expose online perpetrators of #RomanceFraud. Romance fraud is when somebody uses the ruse of a relationship to extort money. Through social media Becky publishes her interactions with the perpetrators and exposes their false identities in an effort to raise awareness of this growing problem.

https://thecomfortablespotpodcast.com/2022/10/24/becky-holmes/

In this episode of #TheComfortableSpot #Podcast my guest is author Becky Holmes. Becky is an influencer who works tirelessly to expose online perpetrators of #RomanceFraud. Romance fraud is when somebody uses the ruse of a relationship to extort money. Through social media Becky publishes her interactions with the perpetrators and exposes their false identities in an effort to raise awareness of this growing problem.

https://thecomfortablespotpodcast.com/2022/10/24/becky-holmes/

In this episode of #TheComfortableSpot #Podcast my guest is author Becky Holmes. Becky is an influencer who works tirelessly to expose online perpetrators of #RomanceFraud. Romance fraud is when somebody uses the ruse of a relationship to extort money. Through social media Becky publishes her interactions with the perpetrators and exposes their false identities in an effort to raise awareness of this growing problem.

https://thecomfortablespotpodcast.com/2022/10/24/becky-holmes/

#Romancefraud is a growing problem as #scam artists develop more ingenious ways to con money from victims. This is topic we cover in the latest episode of #TheComfortableSpot #Podcast with my guest author Becky Holmes.
https://thecomfortablespotpodcast.com/2022/10/24/becky-holmes/

#Romancefraud is a growing problem as #scam artists develop more ingenious ways to con money from victims. This is topic we cover in the latest episode of #TheComfortableSpot #Podcast with my guest author Becky Holmes.
https://thecomfortablespotpodcast.com/2022/10/24/becky-holmes/

#Romancefraud is a growing problem as #scam artists develop more ingenious ways to con money from victims. This is topic we cover in the latest episode of #TheComfortableSpot #Podcast with my guest author Becky Holmes.
https://thecomfortablespotpodcast.com/2022/10/24/becky-holmes/

#Romancefraud is a growing problem as #scam artists develop more ingenious ways to con money from victims. This is topic we cover in the latest episode of #TheComfortableSpot #Podcast with my guest author Becky Holmes.
https://thecomfortablespotpodcast.com/2022/10/24/becky-holmes/

In this episode of #TheComfortableSpot #Podcast my guest is author Becky Holmes @deathtospinach. Becky is campaigning against #romancefraud and we have an indepth chat about how dangerous this growing phenomenon is. Full episode in the link here;
https://thecomfortablespotpodcast.com/2022/10/24/becky-holmes

In this episode of #TheComfortableSpot #Podcast my guest is author Becky Holmes @deathtospinach. Becky is campaigning against #romancefraud and we have an indepth chat about how dangerous this growing phenomenon is. Full episode in the link here;
https://thecomfortablespotpodcast.com/2022/10/24/becky-holmes

In this episode of #TheComfortableSpot #Podcast my guest is author Becky Holmes @deathtospinach. Becky is campaigning against #romancefraud and we have an indepth chat about how dangerous this growing phenomenon is. Full episode in the link here;
https://thecomfortablespotpodcast.com/2022/10/24/becky-holmes