An elderly woman has been left devastated after losing thousands of pounds in a sophisticated online scam that began with a simple social media game.
The fraudster, posing as a potential companion, spun a series of lies that ultimately cost her a life-changing sum.
An 80-year-old woman fell victim to a sophisticated online fraudster who swindled her out of £11,000 after initiating contact via a word game on Facebook.
The case is part of a sharp rise in so-called romance scams, which banks and police warn are targeting older people at alarming rates.
New figures show fraudsters are becoming increasingly bold in their methods, preying on loneliness and trust to extract huge sums of money.
The pensioner, identified only as Kathy to safeguard her privacy, developed what she believed was a genuine relationship with someone calling himself “Freddie”.
Their conversations moved from casual chat to regular phone calls, which she believed had developed into a genuine relationship.
The scammer told her his son had died in a car crash while working on an oil rig in Germany.
Romance fraud cases among older people have soared by more than 50 per cent
| GETTYHe then claimed he was arrested bringing home £300,000 worth of equipment and was being forced to pay £30,000 in taxes.
After insisting he could raise most of the money himself, he convinced Kathy to transfer £11,000 to what he said was a police officer’s account.
Romance fraud cases among older people have soared by more than 50 per cent, according to Lloyds Bank, as scammers exploit loneliness to steal life savings.
Liz Ziegler, fraud prevention director at Lloyds, said: “Romance scams are some of the cruellest cases they deal with. Taking advantage of people who are looking for love and companionship, fraudsters play with victims’ emotions when they could be at their most vulnerable.”
The bank listed five red flags for spotting scams: sudden declarations of love, refusal to meet in person or by video call, requests for money to cover emergencies or travel, changing stories, and emotional manipulation to create false urgency.
“Never in any circumstances, send money to someone you’ve met online,” Ms Ziegler said.
Det Supt Oliver Little from the City of London Police’s lead force operations room warned that romance fraudsters are “highly manipulative and often operate with chilling precision, coercing victims through emotional control, false urgency, and elaborate lies.”
He pointed to recent cases where money was hidden inside teddy bears or transferred under the guise of rescuing someone from an oil rig.
His advice to the public was clear: stay within official dating apps’ messaging platforms, be wary of any requests for money, and speak to friends or family before making financial decisions.
"If you haven't met them in person, you don't owe them anything," Det Supt Little stressed, warning that criminals attempt to isolate their targets.