Frauds

Police have warned online daters of the risks of fake celebrity profiles after a woman lost around £5,000 to a romance fraudster posing as TV chef James Martin.

Nottinghamshire Police said the scam is part of a trend where fraudsters pose as celebrities on dating profiles in a bid to lure fans.

Two women were arrested following eight reports of courier fraud in East Lancashire this month.

Victims were defrauded out of nearly £100,000 worth of cash or valuable items during these incidents.

A 26-year-old woman from West Bromwich was stopped on the M6 and arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation on Wednesday evening (October 12).

Online daters are being warned about the dangers of fake celebrity profiles after a Nottinghamshire woman was duped out of thousands of pounds by a romance fraudster posing as TV chef James Martin.

The woman believed she was exchanging messages with the ITV star via Facebook and lost about £5,000 in the scam.

Victims of romance fraud in Surrey have lost almost £2 million to “callous” criminals in just a year, says Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend.

Between September 2022 and September of this year, 170 reports of romance fraud were made to Surrey Police, and 191 reports from Surrey residents were made to Action Fraud.

A new free phone number for the food fraud hotline has launched to make it easier for people to speak up and share their concerns.

The Food Standards Agency's (FSA) new number is aimed at helping those working in the food sector to share potential food crimes "freely and confidentially".

The food safety watchdog has launched a new freephone number to make it easier for people to report suspected food fraud as it revealed related crimes cost the UK economy up to £2 billion a year.

https://www.largsandmillportnews.com/news/national/23845048.food-fraud-hotline-launched-crime-costs-uk-2-billion-year/

Eight people have been arrested in a suspected multi-million-pound fraud bust which saw police seize more than £150,000 in cash from a number of addresses in the Black Country.

The eight suspects, aged between 42 and 82, were arrested in the Wolverhampton and Dudley areas on suspicion of benefit and identity fraud relating to estimated sums in excess of £4 million. Five of the suspects are believed to be from the same family.

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/crime/2023/10/05/suspected-crime-family-among-people-arrested-in-4m-benefit-fraud-bust/

Romance scams are cruel schemes that not only break hearts but can also drain bank accounts. They reveal a harsh reality where fraudsters exploit emotions to steal money and cause their victims significant emotional distress. This story highlights a specific case where the victim was seduced by a fraudster’s deceitful charm, stressing the importance of reporting fraud and staying alert in today’s online dating world.

https://www.watchyourpocket.co.uk/news/romance-scams-2/

A man has been charged in connection with reports of romance fraud involving three women.

Cieran Griffin was arrested in Nuneaton on Friday 29 September and taken to Cheshire for questioning.

The 37-year-old from Coventry, has since been charged with three counts of fraud by false representation.

https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2023-10-03/man-charged-with-romance-fraud-in-connection-with-three-women

"Fraud" is an umbrella term describing when a person "lies to you or 'scams' you to gain an advantage". It is often linked to trying to extort money, or to learn private information about you. There are countless ways that scammers try and take advantage of their victims, some of which include via email, texts, phone calls or in person.

In a rapidly developing world where technology is becoming more advanced by the day, concerns are growing for online safety.