The number of Scots being targeted by ‘Tinder Swindlers’ and romance scammers is rife in the run-up to Valentine's Day, a charity has warned.
Advice Direct Scotland has urged people to learn lessons from the new hit Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler, adding: "If you believe you have been the target of a romance scam, you should contact your bank."
The charity, which runs the national consumer advice service consumeradvice.scot, has launched a new campaign that aims to understand the tactics used by scammers to exploit situations of loneliness or isolation of their targets.
Romance fraud, similar to that portrayed in the popular crime documentary on Netflix, sees victims fall for scammers, often via fake online profiles on dating or social media sites, and enter into "relationships" with them.
Having gained their trust, fraudsters like Tinder Swindler Simon Leviev then ask for cash or coax the victim to hand over personal information such as passports and credit cards.
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Advice Direct Scotland said romance and companionship scams, rely on psychological “buy-in” and play on the emotions of the person being tricked.
The charity warned people to avoid revealing too many personal details early into a conversation online and stressed that they should never give out their bank details
Romance fraud crime cost victims in Scotland over £990,000 in the year to October 2021 — while across the UK victims lost some £91.9 million.
The true figure could be much higher as many romance frauds may go unreported due to embarrassment on the part of the victim.
Scottish Government Public Finance Minister Tom Arthur said anyone who becomes aware of suspicious activity should report it to police to help stop the perpetrator and potentially protect others.
Colin Mathieson, spokesperson for Advice Direct Scotland, said: “The Advice Direct Scotland Romance and Companionship Scams campaign will look at the tactics employed by scammers who exploit situations of isolation and loneliness of their targets for personal gain.
“This is not only from a romantic perspective, but will also look at other methods employed, including scams perpetrated by family members, and fraudsters posing as them, for example through WhatsApp scams".
He continued: “If you believe you have been the target of a romance scam, you should contact your bank in the first instance if financial details have been shared, or money has been transferred - you should also contact the police to report the situation.”
For more advice on scams or if you need to report a scam you have identified, you can contact consumeradvice.scot on 0808 164 6000.
