Lonely Brits have been warned to beware of romance scammers poised to strike during a second lockdown. Fraudsters hunt for vulnerable people who may be shielding in isolation before fleecing them out of life savings, leaving many too ashamed to contact police or even tell loved ones.
Cases rocketed to 600 a month in the first lockdown and victims lost £10,000 on average, adding up to £66.3million in the past year.
Now, with more virus restrictions looming, police want lonely hearts to take extra care when they go looking for love online.
Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime, launched an awareness campaign after cases soared by 26 per cent year-on-year to August. Have you been a victim of a romance scam?
Read more on mirror.co.uk