Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Female victims 'conned out of twice as much money as men' in romance scams

by LAUREN CODLING

WOMEN have been warned to be wary of “internet romance scams”, as it was revealed that female victims lost an estimated £39 million last year after being duped by criminals.


“Romance fraud” is defined as feigning romantic interest in a victim to manipulate them into sending money or gifts.

The latest data by Action Fraud showed that 63 per cent of victims in 2018 were female.

On average, women tended to be conned out of twice as much money as male victims. Each victim – male and female – lost an average of £11,145.

Police warned that most victims were targeted on online dating websites, apps or social media by fake profiles.

On Tuesday (12), it was reported that two women in Northern Ireland had been tricked out of nearly £105,000 in the past fortnight by romance scammers.

In one of the two cases, a female victim was tricked by a man claiming to be in the US Army. In May 2018, he said he was being held by authorities in Africa and needed money to get out. She sent him £65,000.

Police said the woman “truly believed” he was genuine as she had found a profile online that matched his details.

According to reports, there are about 10 ‘catfish’ – a term commonly used to describe a romance scammer – crimes a day reported in the UK.

Last month, an Asian woman was jailed after she blackmailed a young girl into sending her large sums of money after convincing the victim to send naked pictures of herself.

Shilpa Uga, 26, posed as a man to persuade a 16-year-old girl to send explicit images

of herself.

Uga, from Leicester, used the photographs to demand money from the teenager.

Leicestershire Police subsequently discovered Uga was behind the fake social media account and she was jailed for three years.

Detective Constable Skarv Hussain, of Leicestershire Police, said the incident was “extremely traumatic” for the victim.

“Uga’s actions were callous and she had no regard for the affect it would have on the young

victim,” Hussain said.

In 2016, Farhan Mirza was jailed for convincing women he was a doctor when he was,

in fact, working as a taxi driver. The 38-year-old wore surgeon’s scrubs in his dating app pictures and succeeded in convincing women to send him money. He made around £8,500

from the scam.

A judge said the victims were “intelligent, but eventually duped and pressurised”.

According to Action Fraud data, 42 per cent of victims described falling prey to romance fraud as having a significant impact on their health or financial well-being.

The latest statistics come as figures showed the number of Tinder-related police call-outs had more than doubled in the last three years.

Police now receive more than 20 reports a week linked to the online dating app.

Although the data did not specify what was in the reports, previous research found that around a third of crimes involving dating apps are sexual assaults and rapes.

Anna Rowe, 44, was scammed by a fraudster on Tinder in 2015. The fraudster used images of Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan in his dating app profile to hide his identity.

The man, ‘Anthony Ray’, was married with children but used a false identity to exchange thousands of messages with Rowe. He used separate phones to hide his affairs from his family.

The teaching assistant has since called for the government to introduce new laws around “catfishing”, to ensure posing online as someone else would be made illegal.

“This man used me like a personal hotel with benefits under the guise of wanting the romantic, loving relationship he knew I craved,” Rowe said. “He broke my trust, took away my right to choose.

“I did not consent to having a relationship with a married man, or a man who was actively having relations with multiple women simultaneously.”

Commander Karen Baxter, head of the City of London Police’s economic crime department, urged people to look for the signs of romance fraud.

“As cases of romance fraud increase each year, so too does the cost to victims, both emotionally and financially,” Baxter said.

“The emotional damage of falling victim to romance fraud can often be far more difficult

to come to terms with.”

Experts have advised individuals to never send money to someone they meet online.

People can analyse the individual’s profile and check they are genuine by putting their name or profile pictures into a search engine, and never share personal information such as bank account details.

Eastern Eye’s resident relationship and dating columnist, Priya Mulji, said: “Sadly, there are many romance-related scams online in various forms, and most who have used that platform will encounter it on some level. However, that shouldn’t put people off because there are so many genuine people looking for a real connection. I know lots of people who have met online and gotten married.”

She added: “I would just tell people to be extra vigilant, listen to their gut instinct and

keep their guard up until they are 110 per cent comfortable.”

More For You

Nepal’s new leader pledges to act on Gen Z calls to end corruption

Officials greet newly-elected Prime Minister of Nepal's interim government Sushila Karki (R) as she arrives at the prime minister's office in Kathmandu on September 14, 2025. (Photo by PRABIN RANABHAT/AFP via Getty Images)

Nepal’s new leader pledges to act on Gen Z calls to end corruption

NEPAL’s new interim prime minister Sushila Karki on Sunday (14) pledged to act on protesters’ calls to end corruption and restore trust in government, as the country struggles with the aftermath of its worst political unrest in decades.

“We have to work according to the thinking of the Gen Z generation,” Karki said in her first address to the nation since taking office on Friday (12). “What this group is demanding is the end of corruption, good governance and economic equality. We will not stay here more than six months in any situation. We will complete our responsibilities and hand over to the next parliament and ministers.”

Keep ReadingShow less
UK secures £1.25bn US investment ahead of Trump’s visit

US president Donald Trump and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer arrive at Trump International Golf Links on July 28, 2025 in Balmedie, Scotland. (Photo by Jane Barlow-WPA Pool/Getty Images)

UK secures £1.25bn US investment ahead of Trump’s visit

THE British government has announced over £1.25 billion ($1.69bn) in fresh investment from major US financial firms, including PayPal, Bank of America, Citigroup and S&P Global, ahead of a state visit by president Donald Trump.

The investment is expected to create 1,800 jobs across London, Edinburgh, Belfast and Manchester, and deepen transatlantic financial ties, the Department for Business and Trade said.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nearly 150,000 join anti-migrant protest in London as clashes erupt

Protesters wave Union Jack and St George's England flags during the "Unite The Kingdom" rally on Westminster Bridge by the Houses of Parliament on September 13, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Nearly 150,000 join anti-migrant protest in London as clashes erupt

MORE THAN 100,000 protesters marched through central London on Saturday (13), carrying flags of England and Britain and scuffling with police in one of the UK's biggest right-wing demonstrations of modern times.

London's Metropolitan Police said the "Unite the Kingdom" march, organised by anti-immigrant activist Tommy Robinson, was attended by nearly 150,000 people, who were kept apart from a "Stand Up to Racism" counter-protest attended by around 5,000.

Keep ReadingShow less
Piyush Goyal

Piyush Goyal recalled that in February, Narendra Modi and Donald Trump had instructed their trade ministers to conclude the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) by November 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Trade talks with US moving forward positively, says Indian minister Goyal

INDIA’s commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said that negotiations on the proposed trade agreement between India and the United States, which began in March, are progressing in a positive atmosphere and both sides are satisfied with the discussions.

He recalled that in February, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and US president Donald Trump had instructed their trade ministers to conclude the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) by November 2025.

Keep ReadingShow less
West Midlands Police

West Midlands Police said they were called just before 08:30 BST on Tuesday, September 9, after the woman reported being attacked by two men near Tame Road. (Representational image: iStock)

Woman raped in racially aggravated attack in Oldbury

A WOMAN in her 20s was raped in Oldbury in what police are treating as a racially aggravated attack.

West Midlands Police said they were called just before 08:30 BST on Tuesday, September 9, after the woman reported being attacked by two men near Tame Road. Officers said the men made a racist remark during the incident.

Keep ReadingShow less