Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Romance scams 'dupe 200,000'

John von Radowitz

Tuesday 27 September 2011 15:39 EDT

Dating site fraud is vastly under-reported and may have claimed more than 200,000 victims in the UK, research suggests.

The "online romance scams" typically involve criminals who set up fake identities using stolen photographs of attractive individuals.

A relationship is struck up with the victim who at a certain point is asked for financial help.

Some of those targeted have been duped out of hundreds of thousands of pounds, but frequently the crimes remain unreported and hidden.

A new study by researchers at the universities of Leicester and Westminster estimate more than 200,000 Britons have been conned by romance scammers.