Romance Fraud Reports Rise 56% in Devon and Cornwall Over Three Years

Romance fraud is rising sharply across Devon and Cornwall, with new figures showing a 56% increase in reported cases over three years and more than £100m lost across the UK in a single financial year.

The data was obtained by Romance Scams Advice through Freedom of Information requests and highlights a worrying upward trend both locally and nationally.

Sharp rise in reports across the South West

According to the figures, reports made to Devon and Cornwall Police rose from 242 cases in 2022/23 to 378 in 2024/25. Over the three year period, a total of 881 romance fraud reports were recorded in the two counties, representing a rise of 56.2%.

Nationally, police forces saw an average increase of 37.67% in reports, placing Devon and Cornwall above the national trend, though not among the worst affected areas.

How Devon and Cornwall compares nationally

Greater London recorded the highest overall number of reports, with cases made to the Metropolitan Police rising from 1,140 in 2022/23 to 1,230 in 2024/25. Across three years, the force received 3,491 reports.

The steepest rise was seen by Nottinghamshire Police, where reports jumped by 152%, increasing from 101 to 255 over the same period. Warwickshire Police recorded the second highest increase, with cases rising by 80%.

Some areas saw declines. Northamptonshire Police recorded a 40% reduction in cases, while Gloucestershire Constabulary saw reports fall by 30%.

More than £100m lost in a single year

Across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, 9,449 cases of romance fraud were reported during the 2024/25 financial year. Losses totalled £106m, up from £92.8m in 2022/23, an increase of more than 14%.

The number of reported cases has also risen steadily, from 8,036 in 2022/23 to 8,903 in 2023/24, equating to around 13 additional reports every week over two years.

Romance Scams Advice notes that underreporting remains a concern, with embarrassment and lack of awareness meaning the true scale could be higher.

Men increasingly affected

The figures show a 7.5% annual increase in reports made by men since 2022. Cases involving male-identifying victims rose from 3,984 in 2022/23 to 4,296 in 2024/25.

Reports from women have remained around 3,500 per year, while reports from people who did not specify their gender increased sharply from 494 to 1,616, a rise of more than 300%.

Age groups most at risk

Victims aged 40 to 59 accounted for 31.29% of reports over the three year period. People aged 20 to 29 made up more than 17% of cases, while those aged 30 to 39 accounted for 14.49%.

Just 11.3% of reports came from people aged 70 and over, suggesting romance fraud affects a wide range of age groups.

Expert warning on growing threat

Stuart Lythgoe, a specialist in fraud recovery claims for Romance Scams Advice, said:

“These shocking figures underline the growing importance of tackling romance fraud. Scammers prey on the trust of vulnerable people, and with huge sums of money often at stake, the results can be psychologically damaging as well as financially harmful.

“It can be a complex crime, with financial services facing many challenges in eliminating risk, so it’s important that we all remain vigilant to avoid being deceived by these skilled and devious manipulators.

“People should always be wary when sending money, particularly to anyone asking for money who they have never met, as the risk of fraud is increased dramatically.

“While tighter controls are needed to identify red flags and prevent romance fraud, seeking to recover your lost money is also an important step in ensuring accountability for the perpetrators while ensuring justice for affected individuals.”