NI man lost more than £200,000 in romance scam

A man from Northern Ireland who lost more than £200,000 in a romance scam has said the fraudsters "almost destroyed my life".

He believed he was in a relationship with a woman whom he met on a dating app in 2020.

He lost everything he had as a result of the scam and ended up in debt. However, the money was recovered in full after the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) got involved.

The victim, whose name has been withheld to protect his identity, has spoken out to warn others not to fall for the same type of scam.

The man sent money in various amounts over a two-year period, up until 2022, in response to requests for help with medical bills and other expenses.

"This entire experience has had a devastating impact on my whole life, both financially and emotionally," the man said.

"I felt ashamed that I had let myself fall victim to this fraud."

Part of the scam involved convincing the man that his supposed girlfriend had a very wealthy grandmother.

He was told the woman needed to borrow thousands of pounds for legal fees relating to her grandmother's will.

On another occasion, the man was told his girlfriend had been injured in a car crash and needed his help to pay her medical bills.

"I have always had the attitude if I can help people I will but, unfortunately, in this instance I was taken advantage of," the man said.

Despite paying out large sums of cash, he never met the recipient in person as he was always given excuses as to why they could not meet.

He was also sent a link to what is believed to be a fake online banking webpage in order to convince him that the woman had money to repay him.

Having lost all his money, and coming under pressure after getting into debt, it was at that point he called the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

"Fortunately, in this case, thanks to subsequent enquiries and the man's bank, the money was recovered in its entirety," the PSNI said.

Officers have used the man's case to highlight the threat of romance scams ahead of Valentine's Day.

"Many people use social media and dating sites to find love and meet new people, said Supt Joanne Gibson, chair of the ScamwiseNI Partnership.

She added that in some cases there are criminals who take advantage of people and "go to great lengths to build a fake relationship" online.

"Their sole aim is stealing people's money."

Over the course of the last year, 127 romance scams were reported to the PSNI, with the victims reporting a combined loss of more than £1m between them.

Some of them lost a few hundred pounds but others lost more than £100,000.

Supt Gibson warned those looking for romance online that fraudsters usually "seek to build a relationship" before requesting money.

"Initially, they'll appear charming and come across as being really interested in you, but they'll have multiple excuses for not being able to meet face-to-face," she said.

"They'll hint at financial troubles and start asking for money to help them sort out their problems by playing on their emotions.

"For example, pay for medical or legal bills, help a family member or to help pay for travel, or some sort of investment opportunity."

Even in a case like this man's where the money is recovered and returned, the scam still causes distress to victims who believed they were in a genuine relationship, the police said.

"It's devastating and is such a cruel form of deception," the officer added.

The PSNI believes this type of crime is under reported because "people feel embarrassed".

They said victims should not be ashamed to contact the police as they are not at fault and help will be available.

In addition to urging more victims to come forward, the PSNI also issued some tips to stay safe online while looking for romance.

• Stay on the app - only communicate via dating websites or apps as many have inbuilt security that can identify and delete fake accounts.
• Check their socials - research a potential partner's social media presence to see if it matches their profile on the dating site.
• Check their photo - You can use various websites to carry out a reverse image search to check if a picture is genuine.