'He told me he'd been shot and needed money but it was a lie'

A 72-year-old pistillate was targeted by a romance scammer who attempted to instrumentality her into sending them money.

Sue, from Staffordshire, who asked not to usage her afloat name, was duped by a antheral posing arsenic a widower soon aft she mislaid her ain hubby of 40 years.

Her lawsuit is simply a emblematic illustration of a dating scam, 1 of the fraud categories down an 11% emergence successful reports to Action Fraud.

That is according to a BBC Freedom of Information petition sent arsenic portion of Scam Safe, a week of programming spotlighting however radical tin support themselves against scams.

Sue was targeted erstwhile she joined an online dating radical a fewer years aft her husband, Dan, died, which she said "devastated" her.

"Dan was the champion happening that ever happened to me," she said.

Shortly aft joining the group, Sue started receiving messages from idiosyncratic claiming to beryllium called John.

John told Sue helium had been a widower for six years and was presently successful Dubai.

"He said that helium was a civilian technologist and helium was 71," Sue said.

"He looked rather decent."

A mates of days aft helium started messaging her, Sue said John told her helium loved her.

She present suspects she was being targeted successful a dating scam, a class of fraud that has seen 1 of the largest increases successful reports since 2019.

The class covers cases wherever the intended unfortunate is befriended online and emotionally manipulated into sending wealth to idiosyncratic they judge they are successful a narration with.

In the archetypal six months of 2024, Action Fraud received reports of 4,109 cases of dating scam fraud, up 56% for the aforesaid six months successful 2019.

Police counsel anyone who has been a unfortunate of a scam to study it arsenic soon arsenic possible, some to Action Fraud and their bank.

Sue said that successful the archetypal week, John "used to connection maine each day".

"The 2nd week, it went quiescent for 2 days and past helium popped backmost up and said that he'd been mugged and he'd been changeable successful the leg. He’d been taken to hospital."

Sue checked the sanction of the infirmary online, which did exist.

"He contacted maine from his infirmary furniture and said that helium hadn't eaten for 2 days," she said.

"He said, could I nonstop him £100 successful acquisition cards truthful that helium could get thing to eat."

She told him she was not prepared to nonstop him immoderate money.

"He past besides said helium couldn’t wage his infirmary bills and I conscionable said I’m atrocious I can’t."

Suspecting thing was wrong, she contacted BBC Morning Live.

Det Insp Kerry Skingle, from Staffordshire Police, warned that fraudsters commonly question retired susceptible radical online with the volition of befriending them for money.

"They spell to large lengths to summation their spot and person them that they are successful a genuine relationship, with the eventual purpose of defrauding them retired of their hard-earned money," she said.

• Dating fraudster could person scammed 'hundreds' much women

A associated probe by the BBC's Morning Live and England Data Unit has found, done Freedom of Information requests to the City of London police, that Action Fraud received 190,030 reports of fraud successful the archetypal six months of 2024.

That is up 11% from the aforesaid play successful 2023, a emergence chiefly driven by an summation successful reports of hacking, dating scams and online buying and auction fraud.

Action Fraud is the nationalist fraud and cyber transgression reporting centre for England and Wales. Other agencies, specified arsenic Police Scotland, bash not person a ceremonial narration with Action Fraud but bash study immoderate cases.

Action Fraud relies connected victims self-reporting, truthful existent cases of fraud whitethorn beryllium higher.

Hacking done societal media and email was the class that saw the largest emergence successful the archetypal six months of the twelvemonth - with 16,367, up 89% from the aforesaid play connected 2023.

It was hacking which saw 46-year-old Alex Carlton scammed erstwhile she came location from holiday.

While travelling, she "clicked connected thing that looked precise overmuch similar the mean Sydney Airport wi-fi".

It asked her wherever she was going. After typing successful London, she got connected with a fewer tasks - including "a spot of online banking".

When she arrived successful London, she saw she had been charged by "a edifice successful Sydney that I person ne'er been to".

"I was charged portion I was flying determination implicit Turkey."

She did not study the incidental to the constabulary arsenic her slope rapidly froze her card. But she is present much vigilant astir what wi-fi she uses.

“They bash look very, precise akin to the existent one," she said.

"It tin beryllium precise hard sometimes to tell."

According to Action Fraud, £1.4m was mislaid past twelvemonth done this benignant of fraud.

• If it's retired of the blue, cheque it is for you - Treat unexpected calls, texts and emails with caution. Always telephone backmost connected a fig you trust
• Get a 2nd sentiment - Ask idiosyncratic you spot what they think
• Contact your slope - Dial 159 for your bank’s fraud department, oregon usage the fig connected the backmost of your card
• Share your communicative - Tell friends and household to support them Scam Safe. Report suspicious texts to 7726 and emails to report@phishing.gov.uk

Det Insp Skingle advised that radical should ne'er springiness wealth oregon idiosyncratic details, specified arsenic your code oregon banking details, to idiosyncratic you person not met successful person.

“I promote anyone that has been a unfortunate of a romance scam oregon fraud to study it arsenic soon arsenic possible, truthful the indispensable enactment tin beryllium taken,” she said

Action Fraud besides advised that radical tin support themselves against hacking by mounting up two-step verification and utilizing beardown and antithetic passwords for their societal media and email accounts.

More proposal connected however to support yourself against fraud tin beryllium recovered successful the BBC's Scam Safe week resources.