How to avoid romance scams
What is a romance scam?
Romance scams work by exploiting your emotions. Fraudsters set up fake profiles on dating websites, apps and social media. They try to appeal to your compassionate side and then ask for money.
Some of the typical reasons they’ll use are:
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They want to come to the UK (sometimes with the promise of marriage), but need money to cover the cost of travel
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They have a relative who needs an urgent operation, but can't afford to pay for it
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They have a large inheritance, but can't access the money
To avoid falling victim to a romance scam, never send money to someone you’ve only met online.
How to spot romance scams
Fraudsters often go to great lengths to gain your trust, sometimes sending gifts such as flowers, wine or chocolates.
They usually ask for lots of personal information but share very little about themselves.
Here are some tell-tale signs that you're actually dealing with a fraudster:
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They seem to have fallen in love with you rather quickly
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They soon want to leave the dating site or app, to use instant messaging, email or text instead
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They claim to be from the UK, but say they’re away working or travelling
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They plan a visit to see you, but something comes up at the last minute to prevent them from coming
One of these points on its own might be innocent. But more than one, together with a request for money, could be a sign that it’s a romance scam.
To find out more about this and other common types of fraud, download our scams leaflet (PDF, 333KB). You can also read updates about the latest scams as we come across them.
Real-life case study of a romance scam
How one woman was conned out of £100,000
Here’s the story of one HSBC customer who fell victim to a romance scam. The details are fictitious but are based on a genuine case. We've changed all the names, locations and other aspects to protect the anonymity of those involved.
Dating service
Two years after her husband died, Marjorie decided to start using a dating website for the first time.
It was a service aimed at the over 50s, with a focus on those who’d been widowed.
She soon struck up an online conversation with a man called Gerald and they quickly hit it off.
"Most communication was through WhatsApp, although we also spoke over the phone," said Marjorie.
Gerald claimed to be from Milton Keynes and told her he owned his own electrical business. He explained he was away in Dubai working on a major project at a shopping mall, so they couldn't meet. In fact, they never met face to face.
'Cash flow problems'
Marjorie recalls: "Towards the end of February, he began to mention that he was having cash flow problems with his business. He said he needed a short-term loan of funds to finish the project."
He told her he would repay her when the project was complete at the beginning of April.
This is when alarm bells should have started to ring. You should never send money to someone you've only met online.
Gerald sent Marjorie a copy of his passport, shipping documents and a link to a website showing his company Gerald Symonds Electrical.
"He also sent an image of a cheque for £2 million, which he said was due to him on completion of the project," said Marjorie.
These all turned out to be fake.
Bank transfers
Marjorie began by making payments from an account she held with another bank. In total, she transferred £54,000 from that account.
Then she started to make payments from her HSBC UK account. A transfer of £42,000 was supposed to be the final amount Gerald needed to complete the project in Dubai.
He told her to say it was for building work on her home.
Marjorie said: "I had genuinely been having work done on my home around the same time."
As the fraudster expected, staff in Marjorie’s local HSBC UK branch did ask her about the purpose of the payment and accepted her well-rehearsed explanation.
Marjorie made a further transfer from her HSBC UK account. Gerald said he needed this to cover health and safety checks and inspections before the Dubai project was handed back over to the owners.
Romance scam revealed
When Marjorie tried to make yet another payment, the local branch used the UK’s Banking Protocol scheme to call the police and uncover the scam.
Gerald Symonds was a fake identity created by criminals. HSBC UK, the police and the other banks involved launched investigations into the fraud.
Marjorie was the victim of what’s known as a romance scam. Typically, it starts with a fast-moving online relationship, with the fraudster often claiming to be working or travelling outside the UK.
They then start asking for money. Sometimes it’s to cover the cost of coming to the UK. Or they may claim they can't afford to pay for something like a relative's urgent operation.
What to do if you think you’ve been scammed
If you think you've been the victim of a romance scam, you’re not alone. We’re here to help.
You can call us using the number on the back of your credit or debit card. You can also report it to the dating site or app, as well as Report Fraud.
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This article was last updated: 08/05/2026, 06:04
