Action Fraud logged more than £12 million in romance and dating fraud reports in September, according to a City of London Police tally released on Wednesday, as investigators warned that autumn advertising seasons are fuelling fake-profile campaigns on social platforms.
The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau said the average loss per report rose compared with August, driven by longer grooming periods and requests to move conversations from dating apps to encrypted messengers. Many cases now involve small crypto transfers rather than single large bank wires, making recovery harder once funds leave UK institutions.
How the scams run
Typical scripts start with compliment-heavy messages and quickly pivot to emergencies: medical bills, customs fees for gifts, or investment opportunities in foreign exchange desks. Fraudsters reuse photos from legitimate profiles and increasingly deploy voice-cloning snippets after a few video calls fail.
Bank and platform responses
UK Finance said member banks have tightened outbound payment friction for new payees when customers type words associated with investment scams, but romance fraud often bypasses those filters because victims believe they are helping a partner. Meta and Match Group reiterated policies on suspicious profile takedowns, though police said reporting queues lengthened after AI-generated faces made automated detection harder.
Victims are urged to stop sending money, preserve chat logs, and report through Action Fraud even when embarrassment delays coming forward. Specialist charities such as Victim Support offer confidential counselling independent of police investigations.
Prevention push
The government’s Stop! Think Fraud campaign added fresh social clips this week targeting over-55s, who remain disproportionately represented in high-value reports. Daniel Okeke’s security desk notes that no single filter will fix social engineering: family members and friends remain the best early warning when someone withdraws cash repeatedly or buys gift cards in bulk.
Cross-border cash trails
Investigators said many September reports involved payments routed through money-service businesses in London before leaving the UK, complicating freezing orders. Banks that delayed outbound transfers long enough for victims to cool off saw fewer large losses, according to UK Finance case studies shared with MPs.
Police urged dating platforms to keep verified video liveness checks on by default, a feature several apps currently hide in settings menus.
Prosecution pipeline
CPS lawyers said romance fraud cases remain complex because victims often testify reluctantly against partners they never met. September charges included a Midlands gang that laundered proceeds through cryptocurrency ATMs in shopping centres.