More than £870,000 was lost by victims of romance scams last year in Cambridgeshire. 

In 2022, there were 111 reports of romance scams across the county according to figures from Cambridgeshire Police. 

But officers believe there were more reports and money lost through romance fraud due to victims feeling embarrassed or ashamed to report the scams. 

Dave York, cyber-crime and fraud prevention officer at Cambridgeshire Police, said: “Romance fraud isn’t just about financial losses, but the emotional impact on victims and their families can be huge. 

“We want people to feel confident to come forward and report these incidents to us so we can help.” 

Romance scams occur when fraudsters target victims through online dating sites or social media platforms and form a relationship with them.  

They gain the victim’s trust before asking them for money for emotive reasons and fraudsters can use the victim’s personal information to steal their identity. 

Darryl Preston, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Police and Crime Commissioner, said that around £104,850 had been lost from 11 reported romance frauds in the county last month. 

The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau found between December 2021 and 2022, there were 4,341 reported cases of all types of fraud in Cambridgeshire totalling a loss of £15.8m. 

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“The vast majority of people using dating sites are sincere and honest in the information they provide, however, there are exceptions,” Mr York added. 

“These fraudsters are well-rehearsed in what they do.” 

Cambridgeshire Police have hired an advertising van that will display messaging on what romance fraud is, how to spot the signs and where to seek help. 

The van will be parked at several locations in the county today (Tuesday) and February 15, in a campaign to raise awareness of the crime. 

For more information about romance fraud, visit Cambridgeshire Police’s website.