Over 100 cases reported per year in Dorset, with a 7.5% national increase in scams involving men
The number of romance fraud cases in Dorset has soared over 300 since 2022, according to newly obtained figures from Romance Scams Advice.
Cynical dating scammers have defrauded the UK public of more than £100m across the financial year of 2024/25, with 9,449 romance fraud cases reported throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
New data secured by Romance Scams Advice through Freedom of Information requests shows that 354 cases were reported to Dorset Police across the three-year period, with figures staying north of 100 cases per year.
While the number of reports has remained steady, a slight decrease of 2.34% – from 128 cases in 2022/23 to 125 in 2024/25 – means that Dorset is not among the worst-affected areas nationally.
On average, police forces across the UK recorded a 37.67% increase in romance fraud reports over the same timeframe.
Substantial rise in Greater London and Nottinghamshire
Greater London experienced the largest volume of cases, with reports to the Metropolitan Police rising from 1,140 in 2022/23 to 1,230 in 2024/25, and a total of 3,491 incidents logged across three years.
The sharpest increase, however, was seen in Nottinghamshire, where reported cases surged by a startling 152%, jumping from 101 in 2022/23 to 255 in 2024/25.
Warwickshire Police recorded the second-highest rise, with an 80% surge over three years – an alarming figure for one of the UK’s smallest police forces.
Elsewhere, Devon and Cornwall Police saw reports grow from 242 to 378 between 2022/23 and 2024/25, an overall rise of 56%.
Figures fall in some areas
Not all regions saw an increase in reports. Northamptonshire Police recorded a 40% drop, with cases falling from 201 to 119, while Gloucestershire Constabulary saw cases fall by 30%, from 165 to 115 over the same period.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, the offshore Crown Dependencies of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man were the least at-risk, collectively reporting just 32 cases across three years.
Other relatively safe areas included Cleveland (157 cases), Cumbria (170 cases), and the Welsh county of Gwent, which recorded 194 reports.
Upwards of £100m stolen in dating scams over just one year
Nationwide, dating scams pilfered more than £100m from victims in Great Britain and Northern Ireland during 2024/25 alone.
Total reported losses rose from £92.8m in 2022/23 to a staggering £106m in 2024/25 – an increase of more than 14% in three years.
The number of reported cases has also climbed steadily, rising by around 1,400 annually since 2022. Figures increased from 8,036 cases in 2022/23 to 9,449 in 2024/25, equating to an average rise of 13 additional cases per week.
Underreporting remains a concern in romance fraud, with factors such as embarrassment or victims being unaware they are being scammed suggesting the true scale may be even greater.
Men increasingly at risk
The data also points to a rise in male-identifying victims, with cases reported by men increasing by 7.5% annually since 2022.
While reports from women have remained broadly stable at around 3,500 per year, cases with male victims rose from 3,984 in 2022/23 to 4,296 in 2024/25.
A sharp increase was also recorded among victims who did not disclose their gender, with reports rising from 494 to 1,616 over the same period – a jump of more than 300%.
Fraud knows no age: Gen Z and Gen X top the stats
Although Gen X grew up alongside the emergence of digital threats and Gen Z have never known life without the internet, neither group appears immune to romance fraud – they jointly dominate the figures.
More than 17% of reports over the three-year period involved victims aged 20–29, while people aged 40–59 accounted for 31.29% of cases.
Millennials aged 30–39 made up 14.49%, and just 11.3% of reports came from those aged 70 and over.
‘Shocking’ figures show importance of vigilance against scammers, says expert
Stuart Lythgoe, a specialist in fraud recovery claims for Romance Scams Advice, said: “These shocking figures underline the growing importance of tackling romance fraud. 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.
“It can be a complex crime, with financial services facing many challenges in eliminating risk, so it’s important that we all remain vigilant to avoid being deceived by these skilled and devious manipulators.
“People should always be wary when sending money, particularly to anyone asking for money whom they have never met, as the risk of fraud is increased dramatically.
“While tighter controls are needed to identify red flags and prevent romance fraud, seeking to recover your lost money is also an important step in ensuring accountability for the perpetrators while ensuring justice for affected individuals.”
