Experts send Valentine’s Day warning as dating scam reports rise by 14% in West Yorkshire

More than 900 romance fraud reports in West Yorkshire as UK losses top £100m

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, residents across West Yorkshire are being urged to stay alert as romance fraud continues to rise. Newly released figures show reported cases in the county have increased by more than 14% since 2022.

Statistics obtained by Romance Scams Advice through Freedom of Information requests highlight the scale of the issue nationwide, with victims across the UK losing in excess of £100 million to romance scams.

During the 2024/25 financial year alone, police forces across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland recorded a combined total of 9,449 reports of romance fraud.

Against this backdrop, reports to West Yorkshire Police rose from 290 cases in 2022/23 to 332 in 2024/25, representing an overall rise of 14.48%. Over the three-year period, the force logged 942 incidents in total.

Stuart Lythgoe, a fraud recovery specialist at Romance Scams Advice, said: “These shocking figures underline the growing importance of tackling romance fraud. Scammers prey on the trust of vulnerable people, and with huge sums of money often at stake, the results can be psychologically damaging as well as financially harmful.”

Local rise mirrors national trend

The increase seen in West Yorkshire reflects a broader national pattern. On average, reported romance fraud cases across the UK rose by 37.67% over the same three-year period.

The Metropolitan Police recorded the highest overall number of reports, with Greater London seeing cases rise from 1,140 in 2022/23 to 1,230 in 2024/25 – a total of 3,491 incidents across three years.

Other forces reporting high numbers included West Midlands Police, which logged 1,021 cases, and Thames Valley Police, which recorded 945 reports over the period.

image.jpegNottinghamshire experienced the sharpest increase of any force, with reports surging by a hair-raising 152% – from 101 cases in 2022/23 to 255 in 2024/25.

Significant rises were also recorded in Warwickshire, where cases increased by 80%, and Devon and Cornwall, which saw a 56% rise.

Forces reporting a decline

A small number of police forces bucked the national trend, recording falls in reported romance fraud. Northamptonshire saw the largest reduction, with cases dropping by 40%, from 201 in 2022/23 to 119 in 2024/25.

Gloucestershire also reported a notable decrease of around 30%, with annual figures falling from 165 to 115 over the three-year period.

image.jpegThe lowest overall numbers were recorded in the Crown Dependencies of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man, which together logged just 32 cases between 2022/23 and 2024/25.

Other relatively safe areas with lower totals included Cleveland (157 cases), Cumbria (170) and Gwent (194).

Losses exceed £100 million nationwide

The financial impact of romance fraud continues to escalate. The UK’s total reported losses increased from £92.8m in 2022/23 to £106m in 2024/25 – a rise of more than 14%.

This mirrors the growth in reported incidents, which climbed from 8,036 to 9,449 over the same period, equating to roughly 13 additional reports every week.

Experts warn that the true extent of romance fraud is likely far greater, as many victims choose not to report incidents due to embarrassment or distress, or not realising they have been scammed.

Increase in male victims

Although romance scams are often thought to disproportionately affect women, reports involving male victims rose by 7.5% over the three-year period – from 3,984 cases in 2022/23 to 4,296 in 2024/25.

Reports involving female victims remained relatively stable at around 3,500 per year. However, cases where the victim’s gender was not recorded rose dramatically, increasing from 494 to 1,616 – a jump of more than 300%.

Victims span all age groups

The data also challenges assumptions about who is most at risk. Gen X may have witnessed the dawn of cyber threats, while Gen Z have spent their entire lives with the internet at their fingertips – but clearly neither of the tech-savvy age groups are immune to romance fraud, as they jointly dominate the figures.

Individuals aged 40-59 accounted for the largest share of reports at 31.29%, followed by those aged 20-29 at just over 17%, and people aged 30-39 at 14.49%.

Those aged 70 and over made up 11.3% of reported cases, showing that romance scammers can manipulate and exploit people of any age.

Vigilance needed to beat ‘devious’ scammers, says expert

Warning of the need to stay vigilant, Stuart Lythgoe of Romance Scams Advice added:

“It can be a complex crime, with financial services facing many challenges in eliminating risk, so it’s important that we all remain vigilant to avoid being deceived by these skilled and devious manipulators.”

“People should always be wary when sending money, particularly to anyone asking for money who they have never met, as the risk of fraud is increased dramatically.”

“While tighter controls are needed to identify red flags and prevent romance fraud, seeking to recover your lost money is also an important step in ensuring accountability for the perpetrators while ensuring justice for affected individuals.”