A WOMAN has lost £40k to a romance scammer she met on social media.
The woman, from Enniskillen in Co. Fermanagh, developed a relationship with the scammer online before being persuaded into transferring money to them.
She gave them money on multiple occasions, either sending it directly or purchasing gift cards to send codes on to the scammer, the PSNI confirmed in a statement.
“These scammers are highly skilled at emotional manipulation and at creating a fake romantic interest which their victim believes,” the PSNI’s Detective Inspector Harris said.
“They cruelly invest weeks or months in grooming their victims before asking for money, and this incident is a prime example of how persuasive these fraudsters can be, building an emotional connection with their victim only to take advantage.
“Sadly, many victims feel too embarrassed to come forward, which allows offenders to continue preying on others.”
Det Insp Harris has urged members of the public in Northern Ireland to remain cautious when communicating with strangers online.
“As a service, we warn the public of the dangers of romance scams frequently and that these crimes can happen at any time of the year on many social media platforms or dating apps used to meet others,” he said.
“Fraudsters will seek to build a relationship quickly with the victim, to chat or text away from the dating site or app you first met them on.
“To do this the criminals use some common tactics, invent stories or fabricate emergencies, such as medical bills or travel costs, pulling on the heart strings of the recipient.
“They will promise they will pay you back. However, they do not intend to do so because they do not exist. All they wanted was your money and to get as much of it as possible – not a romantic relationship.”