Police in Northern Ireland are calling for vigilance after a man lost more than £200,000 in a romance scam.
He says what happened him almost destroyed his life.
Police are advising people to if speaking to someone on a dating app, always keep communication on the app, check the person’s social media profiles and profile pictures and if you have lost money to report it to your bank immediately.
After meeting on an online dating site, the man believed he was in a genuine relationship with a woman. However, after intense contact, initially via a dating app, communication moved to private messaging.
The man then began to receive requests for money. On one occasion the woman said she had a very wealthy grandmother and needed to borrow thousands of pounds for legal fees relating to her will.
The woman also claimed she was in a car crash and needed money for medical bills.
At one point the woman sent a link to what police believe was a fake online banking webpage in order to prove she had money to repay the man.
The pair had spoken on the phone a few times, but had never met in person.
The man lost everything he had – more than £200,000 – and found himself under severe strain and in debt.
Fortunately, all the money was recovered.
Last year, 127 romance scams were reported to Police with a total reported loss of over £1 million.
