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Internet dating scams may have conned 200,000 people in the UK

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Summary of story from Sky News, September 28, 2011

A recent study has revealed that internet dating fraud is vastly under-reported and may have claimed more than 200,000 victims in the UK.

So-called online romance scams typically involve criminals setting up fake identities using stolen photos of attractive individuals, often models or Army officers.

A relationship is then struck up with the victim who at a certain point is asked for financial help.

This can include involving the victim in losing large sums of money or in money laundering if they agree to ‘look after’ money in their bank accounts.

A new study by researchers at the universities of Leicester and Westminster in the UK questioned more than 2,000 people and their results show the problem is far greater than the crime figures suggest.

Colin Woodcock, the Serious Organised Crime Agency’s senior manager for fraud prevention, said: “By being aware of how to stay safe online, members of the UK public can ensure they don’t join those who have lost nearly every penny they had, been robbed of their self-respect, and in some cases, committed suicide after being exploited, relentlessly, by these criminals.”

University of Leicester psychologist Professor Monica Whitty said: “It may well be that the shame and upset experienced by the victims deters them from reporting the crime. We thus believe new methods of reporting the crime are needed.”

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