'Romance scams' cost region's victims £4.3m

FIGURES from Action Fraud show that hundreds of people across the North East fell victim to "romance scams" between 2022 and 2025.

- SAM VOLPE

Data released under Freedom of Information laws shows that in between 2022/23 and 2024/25 in the Northumbria Police area - Northumberland and Tyne and Wear - saw 347 reports of this kind of scam. And those affected claim to have lost almost £2.4m.

Further south in the Durham Constabulary force area, 181 romance scams were reported to a value of £1.9m. Across both areas that adds up to more than £4.3m, but the true figure could be higher as the figures released also include £53m-worth of romance fraud not directly attributed to an area.

The information has been obtained by advice firm Action Fraud Claims Advice - which is not associated with Action Fraud itself, which is a police agency.

Nationally, it shows that there were 21,976 reports of dating scams across the three-year period. In total, reported losses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland hit £271,430,524.