“It’s a relationship that is manufactured. To the victim, it is real.”
We’ve watched the documentaries and listened to the podcasts, so why are romance fraudsters still getting away with it? Romance fraud costs UK victims more than £106 million a year, with survivors losing an average of £11,000 each, and many cases go unreported.
In this episode of What the Fraud, our host Vicky Baker speaks to Anna Rowe, founder of Catch the Catfish and co-founder of LoveSaid, and Simon Newman, CEO of the Online Dating and Discovery Association (ODDA). They explain how love bombing, trauma bonding and cognitive biases keep victims hooked, and why telling someone “this is a scam” can push them further in.
From organized crime gangs running scam centers the size of cities to deepfakes and face-swaps that make “just ask for a video call” outdated advice, this conversation looks at how romance fraud is becoming more personal and more industrial. We also hear about Anna’s “Who Saw It?” campaign, and why both guests are calling for a joined-up, government-led response to fraud.
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