People in South Yorkshire & North Derbyshire urged to 'be cautious' around romance fraud
Cases tend to spike at this time of year around Valentine's Day
For those on the look out for love in South Yorkshire & North Derbyshire this Valentine's Day - there's a call for us 'not to be lured in' by scammers who target those feeling 'emotionally vulnerable' at this time of year.
In February - cases of romance fraud tend to spike - which involves people trying to con others into sending them money - by convincing them they're in a relationship.
Once they've received the cash - the person behind the scam then often blocks the victim - leaving them unable to get their money back.
Andy Foster from South Yorkshire Police has been telling us what red flags to look out for:
"All of a sudden there's an emergency that takes place; they've been injured; they can't access their own bank account; there's been some sort of accident - the stories just aren't consistent with their own profile.
"Sometimes, they say that they can't video call, or they can't call because of the job they're doing; for example, they may say they're in the military.
"Just be very cautious - if you meet somebody online and they move you on to a different platform - that is a sign that it could a scammer.
"Somebody declaring really strong feelings in the very early stages of a relationship is another warning sign.
"A term 'love bombing' is quite commonly used within law enforcement.
"It's when somebody is really putting the pressure on someone, expressing how they can't cope without them - then they'll start asking for money."