Romance fraudsters scammed Britons out of £102 million ($138 million) last year, according to the latest police figures. That works out to roughly £280,000 ($379,000) a day, the City of London Police said Tuesday. The average victim loses around £9,500 ($12,866) per scam, though individual cases have reached £1 million ($1.35 million). The figures come from Report Fraud, a City of London Police service that logged 10,784 romance scam reports in 2025, a 29 percent year-on-year bump. "Romance fraud is particularly harmful because it targets trust and emotional connection," said Detective Superintendent Oliver Little at the City of London Police. "Offenders will often spend significant time building what appears to be a genuine relationship before attempting to exploit their victim financially," he added. "While the monetary losses can be substantial, the emotional impact is often just as damaging. This crime can affect anyone, and by reporting it, victims help us build intelligence, disrupt offenders, and protect others from harm." The scams disproportionately hit older victims, with almost half of 2025's total losses coming from those aged 55-74. Men submitted the highest number of reports, but women incurred the greatest financial losses. The playbook is well-established: criminals build fake profiles on social media, cultivate rapport with targets – often expressing strong feelings early – then request money for various reasons, including travel, medical expenses, and other invented needs. City of London Police has urged the public to look out for common tactics used by fraudsters: unsolicited affection from strangers online, excuses to avoid video calls or in-person meetings, and sudden investment pitches. A second opinion from a friend or family member can help. Confidence/romance scams are an even bigger problem in the US, where they rank as the fifth most costly form of cybercrime. An annual report from the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) estimated total losses in 2025 at $929.4 million, ahead of data breaches, phishing, extortion, and ransomware. In the UK, romance fraud sits at the lower end of the cybercrime spectrum. Advance fee fraud, banking fraud, investment fraud, and online shopping scams all generate far more reports. Total fraud losses in the UK reached £3.4 billion ($4.6 billion) in 2025 across 388,895 reports, according to data, a figure that puts romance fraud's toll in stark perspective. Underreporting is also thought to be widespread, with many victims staying silent out of shame. ®
