March 8, 2025
Scammers prey on our gullibility and they are getting more and more sophisticated. This article looks at Romance and Impersonation scams.
Scammers have become much more sophisticated and play a long game to draw you in. It accounts for over 40% of crime in England and Wales. According to an Ofcom survey, around nine in ten online adults in the UK (87%) have come across content they suspected to be a scam or fraud and half of the participants in the survey said they had been personally drawn in by an online scam.
If you think you are being scammed contact Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud and cybercrime reporting centre which can be contacted at www.actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040. They’ll tell you if it’s a common fraud and be grateful you’ve let them know.
Romance
Never assume a person that you’ve only met online is who they say they are.
Scammers go to great lengths to convince you the relationship is real and manipulate you to give them money. Romance scammers will leave you broke and broken-hearted.
Scammers will find you on social media, dating or gaming apps and websites. They might also text or email you. They hide behind fake profiles and identities, sometimes of famous people. They’re really good at making you feel special, so you believe the relationship is real.
Once you trust them, they have an ‘emergency’ and ask you to give them products or money to help them. Or they ask you to do things for them, like set up accounts or transfer money they give you.
Scammers can wait years to build this trust.
Warning Signs
They exhibit intense emotions right away, and the relationship escalates rapidly. You’re showered with attention and made to feel exceptionally valued in a short span of time. Whether you’re chatting on a typical social media platform or an official dating service, they’ll swiftly attempt to shift the conversation to a different platform like WhatsApp.
Romance scammers thrive on secrecy and manipulate you into placing sole trust in them. They might coerce you to distance yourself from your family and friends.
There’s always a convenient excuse for why they can’t meet in person or appear on camera. They often claim to live overseas or in a remote area, or blame technical issues for their inability to connect visually.
Discrepancies arise between the information provided in their online profile and what they disclose about themselves during conversations.
They frequently discuss financial matters or investments, possibly claiming expertise in cryptocurrency and offering to educate you on the subject.
Requests for personal photos, videos, or sensitive information that could be exploited against you in the future are made.
If you refuse to comply with their demands, the scammer may become desperate or hostile, even resorting to threats of ending the relationship.
How to protect yourself
If your online connection asks you for money, they are likely a scammer. Stop contact right away and seek support.
Don’t send money, card or bank details or important identity documents like your passport to someone you’ve only met online: No matter how long you’ve been messaging them.
Never agree to transfer money for someone else. It’s called money laundering and being involved is a criminal offence.
Impersonation Scams
Don’t assume a person you are dealing with is who they say they are.
Scammers trick you into thinking they are from organisations such as the police, government, banks, and well-known businesses. They can even pretend to be your friend or family member.
Scammers use technology to make their call appear to come from a legitimate phone number. Their texts appear in the same conversation thread as genuine messages from an organisation.
Warning Signs
You receive a message that asks you to click on a link that takes you to a webpage asking for your username, password, or personal information.
There is an urgent request for action, and you are asked to provide personal details or money quickly.
An organisation that you think is real, tells you there has been an unauthorised transaction, or asks you to confirm a payment that you didn’t make.
A business asks you to use a different bank account and BSB from the last payment you made.
You’re contacted by someone pretending to be from a government department, regulator or law enforcement and they threaten immediate arrest, deportation, or ask you to pay money.
You’re asked to transfer money to an account to ‘keep it safe’ or for ‘further investigation’.
How to protect yourself
Check that a message is real by either by contacting the person or organisation directly using contact details you’ve found yourself on the organisations official website . Accessing the organisations’ secure, authenticated portal or app (never via a link).
Immediately cut contact with anyone who tries to threaten or intimidate you.
Don’t open or download any attachments or apps as these can install malicious software on to your computer or phone.
If someone you know sends a message to say they have a new phone number try to call them on the existing number you have for them or message them on the new number with a question only they would know the answer to. That way you will know if they are who they say they are.
Common Impersonation Scams
Bank Impersonation – Scammers can make their calls and text messages appear to come from your bank. They can even send you text messages that appear in the same chain as other genuine messages. They will come up with a believable story and convince you to take action. They may ask you for personal information or tell you to click a link to verify your account. They may also ask you to make an immediate payment, or transfer money to another account to keep it safe from suspected fraudulent activity.
Friends/ Family – Scammers send messages pretending to be a family member or a friend desperate for money. They say they have a new phone, and they need you to pay money to help them out of a crisis. Sometimes scammers may even use your family or friend’s real photo making the scam harder to spot.
Charity – Scammers can take advantage of people’s goodwill by pretending they are collecting money on behalf of a charity when they are not. They may call, email, or approach you on the street seeking donations for a charity. They may set up fake websites that look like those run by real charities or create totally fake ones.
If you have fallen for these types of scams or any other, please do let us know and you may well help someone else.
Learn how to detect and avoid financial scammers
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