Millions stolen from victims in York and North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire Police were called to 86 reports of romance fraud in the region in 2025, with total financial losses reaching £1,509,853.

It comes as national figures showed that people aged 55 to 74 suffered the greatest monetary losses, accounting for nearly a half of the total amount stolen.

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A force spokesperson said: “Nationally, the scale is stark: 10,784 reports and losses of more than £102 million over the same period.

“Although men submitted a higher number of reports overall, women typically experienced greater financial losses.”

‘The criminals target trust and emotional connection’

Romance fraud is closely linked to social media and dating website, where offenders can easily create “convincing” fake profiles.

Police say investigators are also seeing increased use of AI-generated images and messages from fraudsters.

A spokesperson said: “In many cases, romance fraud is linked with fake investment, opportunities, cryptocurrency, in hybrid frauds which further increase the financial risk to victims.

“All this is particularly harmful because the criminals target trust and emotional connection.

“They’ll often spend significant time building what appears to be a genuine relationship before attempting to exploit their victim financially.

“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.”

More information about this can be found here.