Police warning over romance scams after victims in Northern Ireland lose £814,400
Saturday 03 October 2026
People looking for love online are being warned never to send money to someone they have only met through the internet, after romance scams resulted in reported losses of more than £814,000 in Northern Ireland last year.
In 2025, 61 dating scams were reported in Northern Ireland, with victims reporting combined losses of £814,400 — an average of more than £13,000 per report. Police believe the true scale of the crime could be higher because some victims may feel too embarrassed to come forward.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland issued the warning to mark World Romance Scams Prevention Day, highlighting how criminals can spend time building trust and an apparent emotional connection before introducing requests for money.
How romance scammers build trust
Superintendent Joanne Gibson, Police Service of Northern Ireland and Chair of the ScamwiseNI Partnership, said romance scammers can be highly skilled at manipulating those they target.
“Romance scammers are skilled manipulators. Many people use social media and dating sites to find love and meet new people and, while in many cases, situations are safe and legitimate, there are, unfortunately, criminals who take advantage of this and go to great lengths to build a fake relationship. Their sole aim is stealing people’s money.”
She said fraudsters often try to establish trust quickly while repeatedly finding reasons why they cannot meet their intended victim in person.
“Fraudsters seek to build a relationship of trust quickly 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.
“They’ll hint at financial troubles and start asking for money by playing on victim’s emotions. For example, asking for help to pay for medical or legal bills, help a family member, pay for travel, or some sort of investment opportunity.”
Emotional impact can remain after money is recovered
Police stressed that the damage caused by romance fraud can extend far beyond the money taken, particularly when someone believes they have formed a genuine relationship with the person responsible.
Superintendent Gibson said:
“They’ll promise to repay the money but have no intention of doing so. For some people who believe they’ve found a genuine, meaningful relationship, the stark reality is they’ve been emotionally and financially drained. Even if any money lost is recovered, the person is still left to cope with the emotional impact and distress.”
She said criminals do not restrict their targets to any particular demographic and urged victims not to allow embarrassment to prevent them reporting what has happened.
“Fraudsters don’t care about gender, sexuality, age or race. They target everyone. It is a despicable type of crime which, we believe, is under reported because people feel embarrassed.
“We hope by raising awareness of this type of fraud, people will know the signs to look out for and feel empowered to stop fraudsters taking their money. We also encourage anyone who has lost money in this type of fraud to report it. Do not feel ashamed - you are not at fault. You are not alone - help and support is available.”
Warning signs to watch for online
Police are advising people to keep conversations on the dating website or app where contact was first made. Many platforms have security measures designed to identify and remove fraudulent accounts, while scammers may attempt to move conversations elsewhere so they can maintain contact if their profile is deleted.
People should also independently check whether information provided by someone online matches their social media presence. Details such as their name, location and family members may reveal inconsistencies, while a reverse image search can help establish whether profile photographs have been taken from elsewhere online.
Particular caution should be exercised if someone asks for money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, access to a bank account or personal information. Police advice is never to send money to someone who has not been met and verified in person.
Superintendent Gibson said:
“We encourage everyone using dating apps and social media to be cautious. Never send money or share your bank details with someone you have only met online, however genuine their story may appear. If something does not feel right, stop contact, speak to someone you trust and report it.”
What to do if you suspect a romance scam
Anyone who believes they are being targeted should stop contact with the person and report the suspicious profile to the dating or social media platform. Messages, usernames, payment information and other potential evidence should be retained.
Further advice about romance scams is available from the Police Service of Northern Ireland at https://www.psni.police.uk/safety-and-support/keeping-safe/protecting-yourself/scams-and-fraud/romance-scams and ScamwiseNI at www.nidirect.gov.uk/scamwiseni, as well as its Facebook page @scamwiseni.
Anyone who has lost money should contact their bank immediately. Reports can be made to police online at https://www.psni.police.uk/report or by calling 101. Fraud can also be reported through https://www.reportfraud.police.uk/ or by calling 0300 123 2040.
With romance fraud built around gaining a person’s confidence before exploiting it, the key warning sign is a request to turn an online relationship into a financial one: however convincing the story or strong the apparent connection, police say money and banking details should never be sent to someone known only online.
