WARNINGS of romance fraud and love scams have been issued by the Neighbourhood Watch Network ahead of Valentine’s Day this month.

The registered charity reminded communities of the dangers that you could see, how to spot the signs and what to do.

Romance fraud is when scammers use a false romantic connection to lure their victims into a false sense of security, before tricking them into giving money, or personal information which helps to steal money.

In other cases, the victim is asked to pass money from another country through their account, as a way to launder money. Spotting the signs of a potential romance scammer is critical to ensure you do not become another victim.

Neighbourhood Watch Network (NWN) said: “The scammer asks you a lot of questions about yourself without saying much about themselves in return. The discussion is friendly at first but turns romantic very quickly. Their story, or parts of it, changes over time and becomes inconsistent. They refuse to video call you, or meet in person. Eventually, the scammer asks you to lend them money.”

As these scammers often target people that use dating sites or social media, Neighbourhood Watch Network reassured communities they do not need to stop using the sites to protect themselves, but rather, be aware of how to protect yourself.

It said: “If you’re using social media sites like Facebook, don’t accept friend requests from people you don’t know. Don’t give away too many personal details about yourself online, never send or receive money to anybody you don’t know, never give away your bank details, and only use reputable dating sites.”

More details about how to protect yourself against romance fraud and love scams can be found by visiting the Neighbourhood Watch Network website.