Today marks 30 years since the launch of the first leading online dating website and comes as the Barclays Scams Bulletin reveals that romance scams are continuing to rise.
Just as the popularity of online dating and dating apps has increased over the decades, so too has the number of fraudsters targeting potential victims. Barclays data shows romance scams were up 20 per cent in the first quarter of 2025, compared to Q1 2024, with the majority of these scams originating on social media sites and online dating platforms.
Barclays is calling for more protection for consumers to guard them against fraud and scams and the public also want to see tech companies take action; an overwhelming majority (76 per cent) believe these firms should do more to prevent romance scams from taking place on their platforms.
Baby boomers see biggest losses
Romance scams take place when someone pretends to be interested in a romantic relationship, gaining their victim’s trust before manipulating them into sending money or personal information, causing financial and emotional harm. Such is their prevalence, that one in 10 (12 per cent) UK adults have been targeted, or know someone who has been targeted, by a romance scam.
Barclays data shows the average amount lost to a romance scam in 2024 was £8,000, up from just under £5,800 in 2023. Those aged 61 or over are most susceptible, with the average claim totalling £19,000, suggesting romance scammers are requesting money from older victims who are potentially less digitally-savvy.
Across romance scam claims so far this year, men make up a greater share of total reports both in terms of volume and value, at 60 per cent and 57 per cent respectively.
Exploiting emotions
Of those targeted by a romance scammer, two fifths (39 per cent) said they had been communicating with the scammer for less than a month when the scammer asked for money. A third (32 per cent) said the scammer created a false sense of urgency and put them under pressure to act quickly. When asked the reasons scammers gave for needing money, the top responses included fake emergencies (32 per cent), travel costs, such as flights and visas (26 per cent) and medical bills and expenses (26 per cent).
Romance scammers exploit people’s emotions to gain trust and trick them into sending money. Over a quarter (27 per cent) of victims said they were feeling lonely when the scammer contacted them, and one fifth (19 per cent) said they overlooked red flags because they were excited about the prospect of finding love.
Those who have been targeted by a romance scam describe feeling angry (36 per cent), embarrassed (25 per cent) and vulnerable (15 per cent), when they realised what had happened. The experience of being targeted by a romance scammer even discouraged close to four in 10 (37 per cent) of this group from dating or searching for a potential partner.
Kirsty Adams, Fraud and Scams Expert at Barclays said: “Social media platforms and dating apps are by far the biggest sources of romance scams, which is no surprise considering how the dating landscape has changed over the decades.
“Romance scammers have taken advantage of the shift online, using these channels to target potential victims. Falling for a romance scam can be both financially and emotionally devastating. We need tech companies to step up their support and take greater action to prevent scammers from operating on their platforms.”
