Online abuse- Fraud and Romance Scams
The internet offers exceptional opportunities to connect, communicate, work and form relationships. Although, with this amount of accessibility comes darker realities too, like online abuse.
But what is online abuse?
Online abuse is any type of abuse that takes place online, using devices such as computers, mobile phones, tablets and game consoles.
It can include anything from:
Bullying and Cyber-bullying
Emotional Abuse
Harassment, stalking or other threatening behaviour
Pressure or coercion to send explicit photos
Sexual Abuse
Sexual Exploitation
Romance Scams
Fraud Scams.
In this white paper we are going to address fraud and romance scams particularly. We will go through what it is, the impact, tips for family members, and how to get support.
What are Fraud and Romance Scams?
Fraud and scams are crimes that involve deception or theft to get money from someone else. The perpetrator gains an advantage by lying to the victim, scams often involve them tricking the victim into making a payment or authorising a transaction. Scammers may impersonate real people or organisations to trick them.
Similarly to fraud scams, romance scams often involve a person being tricked into making payments or giving over personal information.
Romance fraud is a type of confidence trick where the perpetrator uses a fake profile/ or deceives a person to gain the trust of a victim online. The goal of the perpetrator is to manipulate the victim into giving them money, gifts, or access to their personal information.
Who can be affected?
Fraud and Romance scams can happen to anyone. People of all genders, ages, ethnicities and sexual orientations can be affected but statistically some demographics are more likely to be targeted.
The perpetrators when starting a romance scam, often target those who are looking for a romantic partner, they will reach out via online dating websites or apps, as well as social media, taking advantage of their emotional triggers to get the victim to provide gifts, money or share personal details.
Those aged 65 –74 are statistically the ones who lose the most amount of money to romance scams, with an average of £13,123 being the highest of any age group. However, those aged 45-64 are most likely to be targeted for romance scams. With men making up to 53%.
The Impact of Covid 19
During the Covid 19 pandemic cases of online abuse including romance fraud spiked significantly. At the height of social isolation and limited human contact many turned to online platforms for comfort and companionship, specifically social media, dating apps and websites. Romance scammers and other types of scammers took advantage of people’s increased loneliness and desire for connection, often using the pandemic as an excuse for financial hardships to convince the victims to send money.
In 2019 there were 4842 cases processed in England and Wales, in 2023 it had increased to 7660, this a 58% increase.
Tips for family members or friends
Romance scams can not only affect those who are targeted, but also for those around them who may be noticing the signs of online abuse and scams but don’t know how to help.
We wanted to share a few tips on what to do if your family members and friends are being targeted by online scammers.
Stay supportive and understanding – Avoid shaming or blaming the victim, they are already vulnerable and probably embarrassed. Show empathy and understanding.
Education – Educate yourself on the signs of romance scams and how to stop them. Gently present clear information to help them spot the signs as well.
Report the Scam – If you are concerned that they are being targeted by romance scammers you can report it to the police or help the victim report it.
Contact the bank – If your loved one has been scammed, make sure they contact their bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud.
Suggest Professional Support - Recommending counseling or support groups can help victims process their experience and regain self-confidence if they are struggling.
Be patient – Be patient with their recovery, romance scams can have a huge psychological impact on the victim. Continue to be supportive as they rebuild their trust and process what they went through.
If you suspect that your loved one is being targeted, it is important that you approach the situation carefully. Be gentle with them and have open conversations with them to help them understand and feel supported.
Case Studies
Mary Chater
Mary Chater fell victim to romance fraud in 2022 after connecting with a man on Facebook who posed as "Dani", claiming to be a UN doctor.
Following the loss of her husband, actor Julian Curry, she was particularly vulnerable to manipulation and found his humanitarian work appealing.
The scammer gradually gained Mary’s trust and called her pet names such as babe, and sweetheart which Mary said, “Lured me right in” After some time they started making financial demands and convinced her to send money to him to fund his medical research.
In a short period of time, she lost approximately £3000. Fortunately, her bank flagged suspicious transactions in February 2023, which prompted her to investigate it further.
She discovered that this "doctor" had used stolen images of a real Danish doctor, Christian Gerhard Boving, who’s photos has been exploited by fraudsters for years.
Maxwell Rusey
Maxwell Rusey is a 53-year man from Warwickshire. Using online dating websites Maxwell posed as a soldier and convinced his victim that he was involved in covert operations in Mali.
He convinced his victim that he wanted to travel back to the UK to be with her and live together but needed help to do so. He claimed that he had a consignment of gold which he needed imported back to the UK and asked if she could help his friend pay the relevant duties and taxes.
Between 2022 and 2023, he persuaded her to send funds across 16 separate transactions, into accounts he claimed belonged to his colleague, but was later found to have been opened by him. The women transferred a total of £128,500 into his accounts.
In May 2023 the women came forward to tell police she had transferred a lot of money to a man she met online, but now believed she had been a victim of fraud.
Rusey was arrested in 2024 following a police investigation that uncovered false documents he used to create bank accounts for laundering the money. He was sentenced to five years in prison for fraud and money laundering.
Reporting Incidents
If you are looking to report fraud including romance fraud you can use any of the following:
Crimestoppers: Report anonymously by calling 0800 555 111 or filling out an online form
Action Fraud: Or report by calling 0300 123 2040
Your bank: Request support
Police: Report by calling 101
Age UK: Support
Scamalytics: Report anonymously by using an online form to provide images, names, and details of the potential fraudster.
If you have any concerns about the issues raised in the white paper or need any help or advise, please get in touch. Our team offer full support and training around issues such as this and are able to advise and train employers and employees on safeguarding those experiencing this.