With Valentine’s Day approaching, experts are urging the public to stay alert after new figures revealed more than 1,200 romance scam cases were reported in Greater London in the past year alone.
Data obtained by Romance Scams Advice through Freedom of Information requests shows London continues to be the UK’s hotspot for dating-related fraud, amid a wider national rise in cases and losses now topping £100 million annually.
Across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, a total of 9,449 incidents of romance fraud were reported during the 2024/25 financial year. The capital accounted for the highest share of those figures, with reports to the Metropolitan Police rising from 1,140 in 2022/23 to 1,230 in 2024/25.
Over the past three years, London recorded 3,491 reports in total – the highest figure nationwide – representing an overall increase of nearly 8%.
Stuart Lythgoe, a fraud recovery specialist at Romance Scams Advice, said:
“These shocking figures underline the growing importance of tackling romance fraud. Scammers prey on the trust of vulnerable people, and with huge sums of money often at stake, the results can be psychologically damaging as well as financially harmful.”
Dramatic increases outside the capital
While London’s figures tower above the rest of the UK, significant numbers were still recorded elsewhere. West Midlands Police logged a total of 1,021 reports over the three-year period, while Thames Valley Police received 945.
Sharp percentage increases were seen elsewhere, as on average, reports to police forces across England, Wales and Northern Ireland rose by 37.67%. Nottinghamshire experienced the steepest rise, with reports jumping from 101 cases in 2022/23 to 255 in 2024/25 – a mind-boggling increase of 152%.
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The next-largest increase was reported by Warwickshire Police, where cases surged by 80% over the three-year period – a hair-raising number for one of the smallest police forces in the UK.
Meanwhile, Devon and Cornwall Police saw figures jump by 56%, from 242 reports in 2022/23 to 378 in 2024/25l.
Some areas buck the trend
A small number of police forces bucked the national trend. Northamptonshire recorded a 40% drop in reports, falling from 201 cases per year to 119, while Gloucestershire saw a reduction of around 30%, from 165 in 2022/23 to 115 in 2024/25.