Romance fraud is rife in the run-up to Valentine's Day, charity warns

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Scots have been warned to be aware of the signs of romance and companionship fraud in the run up to Valentine’s Day.Advice Direct Scotland, which runs the national consumer advice service consumeradvice.scot, has launched a new campaign that aims to understand the tactics used by scammers to exploit situations of loneliness or isolation of their targets.The Romance and Companionship Scams campaign (ROMCOM) will look at bank transfer fraud, ‘love bombing’, blackmail, and other manipulation techniques that people closer to the scams may misunderstand or misinterpret as displays of affection.It will also focus on non-romantic scams perpetrated by family members and fraudsters posing as them through apps like WhatsApp. Don't miss the latest headlines from around Renfrewshire.

Sign up to our newsletters here. Advice Direct Scotland said romance and companionship scams, which can occur on dating sites and social media, rely on psychological “buy-in” and play on the emotions of the person being tricked.Scottish Government Public Finance Minister Tom Arthur said anyone who becomes aware of suspicious activity should report it to police to help stop the perpetrator and potentially protect others.Mr Arthur, MP for Renfrewshire South, said: “I welcome the work Advice Direct Scotland is carrying out to highlight the risks associated with romance and companionship scams.

By following advice from Scotland’s consumer advice service, people can better spot signs of fraud and avoid being taken advantage of.“Anybody who becomes aware of any