The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has released startling figures showing that more than £866,000 has been stolen through romance scams in the last ten months.

With Valentine's Day approaching, authorities are urging the public to stay vigilant against criminals who exploit those seeking companionship to steal life-changing sums of money.

Data from the PSNI's Economic Crime Branch reveals that between April 2025 and early February 2026, 100 cases of romance fraud were reported. The total financial loss recorded stands at £866,700.

Chief Inspector Boyd of the Economic Crime Branch noted that the impact on victims is devastating. He commented:

"Between April 2025 and the start of February this year, there were 100 reports of romance scams made to the Police Service of Northern Ireland. The total loss of £866,700 includes life-changing sums of money."

The police highlighted several harrowing cases to illustrate how these scammers operate. In one instance, a victim lost over £40,000 after meeting a fraudster online. The criminal built trust over time before persuading the victim to send money directly and purchase gift cards. Another report detailed a victim who lost £15,000 across three separate transfers after meeting someone on a dating site.

Chief Inspector Boyd explained that these criminals often move the conversation away from regulated dating apps quickly to avoid detection. He stated: "Fraudsters will seek to build a relationship quickly with the victim, to chat or text away from the dating site or app you first met them on. To do this the criminals use some common tactics, invent stories in order to pull on the heart strings of the recipient."

The PSNI has issued a set of guidelines to help people protect themselves from these predatory tactics:

• Verify Identities: Conduct independent research on social media to see if their details match their dating profile.

• Check Images: Use reverse image search tools to see if a profile picture has been stolen from elsewhere on the internet.

• Protect Your Finances: Never send money to someone you have not met in person, regardless of the reason provided.

The police stressed that anyone can be a target and urged victims to come forward without fear of judgement.

"Fraudsters don't care about gender, sexuality, age or race. Fraudsters target everyone, our message is, do not feel ashamed. If it has happened to you report it to us, help and support will always be available," Chief Inspector Boyd added.

If you suspect you have been targeted, you should contact the police on 101 and notify your bank immediately. Fraud can also be reported to Action Fraud at 0300 123 2040 or www.actionfraud.police.uk. Further resources are available via the ScamwiseNI website and Facebook page.