BRITS have been warned to watch out for “unprotected texts” this Valentine’s Day after almost £100million was stolen in romance fraud last year.
With more singles hitting it off online before meeting in person, experts have said that scammers will be “preying on the vulnerable”.
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People share an average of 155 messages with love interests before meeting them in person, according to a poll commissioned by EE.
The network says its detection tech blocked 12million scam texts last February, which is way above the monthly average of 8.9million over the past 12 months.
“Scammers are experts at preying on the vulnerable,” explained Richard Wainer, Regulatory Affairs Director at EE.
“At this time of year, when social media is full of public displays of affection, it can be tempting to turn a blind eye to the red flags, but spotting them is more important than ever.”
Nine in ten Brits actively looking for love admit that they have shared sensitive information, according to a study involving 2,000 people.
This includes phone number (65%), location (51%), social media profile (35%), email address (27%), or date of birth (23%) with strangers met online before they’ve had a chance to meet in person.
“The threat of scams is an unhappy part of life in 2025, and we’re all increasingly familiar with the traditional calling cards of a scam,” Wainer continued.
“However, in a dating context, we’re more vulnerable to social engineering and attempts to defraud can be harder to spot.
“That’s why it’s so important people practice ‘safe texts’.
“We recommend keeping your sensitive information like your address, email address and security question answers closely guarded and do not share these via text.
“Always verify someone’s identity with a video call or meeting before getting too personal and never send money or gifts to someone you’ve just met online.”
Action Fraud data obtained by Which? recently showed that romance scams resulted in a loss of £99.4million for 2024.
“It can be really hard to spot fraudsters when online dating,” said Lisa Webb, Which? Consumer Law Expert.
“It’s worth using a reverse image search tool, such as Google or Tineye, to see if the image has been posted anywhere else on the internet.
“You should also be suspicious of anyone who makes excuses to never meet in person or video call as this is often a tell-tale sign of a scammer.
“If you think you have lost money to a romance scammer, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud or Police Scotland. Romance fraud can also take a huge toll on your mental health and you might find it helpful to talk to someone about what you’re going through, such as Mind or Victim Support.”
These are the top eight red flags to watch out for:
- Asking for money or gifts
- Using urgent or emotional language
- Avoiding video calls or in-person meetings
- Telling a sob story to evoke pity
- Giving inconsistent answers
- Dodging personal questions
- Showing off, or promising the world
- Asking overly personal questions
What to do if you think you’ve been scammed
IF you’ve lost money in a scam, contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or by visiting Actionfraud.police.uk.
You should also contact your bank or credit card provider immediatley to see if they can stop or trace the cash.
If you don’t think your bank has managed your complaint correctly, or if you’re unhappy with the verdict it gives on your case you can complain to the free Financial Ombudsman Service.
Also monitor your credit report in the months following the fraud to ensure crooks don’t make further attempts to steal your cash.
