£1m lost to romance fraud in Northamptonshire in a year
The force is issuing advice
Victims of romance fraud had more than £102 million stolen from them in 2025, as criminals continue to exploit online relationships to manipulate people into transferring money, new figures from the City of London Police reveal.
Overall losses equate to almost £280,000 every day, with individual victims having an average of £9,500 stolen from them. In some cases, reported individual losses reached as high as £1 million.
In Northamptonshire, there have been 151 victims of romance fraud during the 12-month period, resulting in the loss of £1,092,936, which has prompted officers from the county’s Economic Crime Unit to support a national campaign to raise awareness of this type of fraud.
Romance fraud typically involves sustained contact, with offenders carefully building trust and emotional attachment with the victim before creating a situation where the victim feels they should send money, often using stories linked to emergencies, investment opportunities or plans to meet in person.
Fraud Protect Officer, Detective Constable Jo Barlow of the Force’s Economic Crime Unit, said: “Romance fraud is particularly harmful because it targets trust and emotional connection. Offenders will often spend significant time building what appears to be a genuine relationship before attempting to exploit their victim financially.
“The financial loss alone is difficult to overcome with some victims losing their lifesavings however it’s the emotional impact on victims which can be devastating as they end up loving the person who scammed them.
“We know that people affected can feel embarrassed, but romance fraud is never the fault of the victim. It can happen to anyone, and by reporting it, victims help us build intelligence, disrupt offenders and protect others from harm.”
Analysis shows people aged 55 to 74 suffered the greatest financial losses, accounting for almost half of the total amount stolen. Although men submitted a higher number of reports overall, women experienced greater financial losses, making up just over 40 per cent of the total value reported.
Romance fraud remains closely linked to online platforms, particularly social media and dating sites, where offenders can easily create convincing false profiles. Investigators are also seeing increased use of AI generated images and messages to support fraudulent identities. In many cases, romance fraud is linked with fake investment opportunities, including cryptocurrency, in hybrid frauds which further increase the financial risk to victims.
Northamptonshire Police is once again supporting the City of London Police’s annual romance fraud campaign, and is urging the public to remain cautious when forming relationships online and to be alert to warning signs:
• Individuals who develop relationships very quickly or express strong feelings early on
• Excuses not to meet in person or to avoid live video calls
• Wanting to send money, cryptocurrency or gift cards to someone you have not met face to face
• Talk of investments, medical emergencies or travel costs
• You feel you are unable to or don’t want to talk about the relationship with friends or family
• The person you are communicating with doesn’t like it when you use ways to protect yourself from fraud
Make sure you:
• Speak to a trusted friend or family member if you want to send money
• Reverse-image search profile and other photos you are sent
• Actively let the person know you are fraud aware and will be protecting yourself (if they don’t like it, this is a key warning sign)
• If you want to move money, listen to your bank and follow their advice to stop if they tell you they are concerned.
Anyone who believes they may have been targeted is encouraged to report it to Report Fraud at www.reportfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.
If money has already been transferred, they should contact their bank immediately.
Visit Stop! Think Fraud for more information on types of fraud and ways to protect yourself from them.