Devon and Cornwall Romance Fraud: What the Regional Data Shows
Devon and Cornwall has recorded a substantial rise in reported romance fraud, highlighting the financial and emotional harm caused by criminals who build false online relationships before asking for money.
Figures obtained through Freedom of Information requests showed that reports to Devon and Cornwall Police increased from 242 cases in 2022/23 to 378 cases in 2024/25. That represents an increase of approximately 56% over three years. Across those three reporting periods, the force recorded 881 romance-fraud incidents.
Separate national figures published by the City of London Police showed that more than £102 million was lost to romance fraud across the UK during the latest reporting year. A total of 10,784 reports were made, representing a 29% increase compared with the previous year. The average reported loss was approximately £9,500, although some individual losses reached £1 million.
These figures do not mean that Devon and Cornwall residents are inherently more susceptible to fraud than people elsewhere. They may reflect a combination of population demographics, reporting patterns, online-dating use and the financial profiles targeted by offenders.
The phrase “catfishing capital” may attract attention, but the more useful question is what the regional data tells residents, families and professional advisers about prevention and early intervention.
What the regional figures show
The increase from 242 to 378 reported cases indicates that romance fraud has become a growing concern across the Devon and Cornwall Police area.
The figures should be interpreted carefully:
- They represent reported cases, not every incident that occurred;
- Some victims may never report because of embarrassment, fear or continuing emotional attachment;
- The data covers a police-force area, rather than one town or local authority;
- An increase in reports may partly reflect greater awareness and confidence in reporting;
- The number of reports does not show the full emotional impact on victims and families;
- Regional figures should not be combined casually with unrelated datasets using different dates or definitions.
Local trends are valuable because they show that romance fraud is not an abstract international problem. It affects people using ordinary dating platforms, social-media accounts and messaging services within communities across the South West.
Why the term “catfishing capital” needs context
Catfishing refers to the use of a false or misleading identity online.
Not every catfish seeks money. Some people create false profiles for attention, emotional control, harassment or personal reasons.
Romance fraud is more specific. It involves using a false or manipulated relationship to obtain money, assets, financial information or assistance.
A case may begin with catfishing and later develop into:
- Requests for emergency payments;
- False investment opportunities;
- Cryptocurrency transfers;
- Gift-card purchases;
- Loans taken out in the victim’s name;
- Property-sale proceeds;
- Money-mule activity;
- Identity theft;
- Recovery fraud after the original loss.
Using “catfishing” as shorthand for every romance-fraud case can understate the seriousness of the financial manipulation involved.
Why residents may be targeted
Fraudsters do not need to live in Devon or Cornwall to target people in the region.
Online platforms allow offenders to approach victims from anywhere in the world. They may select people based on information visible through dating profiles, social media or previous data breaches.
They may look for signs that someone has:
- Property or savings;
- A pension or investment portfolio;
- Recently experienced bereavement or divorce;
- A professional or financially secure background;
- A public social-media profile;
- An interest in travel or relationships;
- Limited daily contact with family members;
- Previously responded to online investment promotions.
These are offender assumptions, not reliable descriptions of victims. Romance fraud can affect people of every age, income level and professional background.
The crime succeeds because offenders deliberately build trust and adapt their story to the person they are targeting.
How romance fraud typically develops
The details vary, but many cases follow a similar progression.
Initial contact
The offender approaches through:
- A dating app;
- Social media;
- An online game;
- A fan page;
- A professional network;
- An unsolicited message;
- A supposedly accidental contact.
Rapid trust-building
The person may:
- Send frequent messages;
- Declare strong feelings quickly;
- Discuss marriage or a shared future;
- Share personal stories;
- Create daily communication routines;
- Claim that the victim is the only person they trust;
- Encourage secrecy from friends or relatives.
Avoiding verification
They may claim to be:
- Working overseas;
- Serving in the military;
- Based on an oil rig;
- Travelling for business;
- Unable to meet because of illness;
- A celebrity or public figure;
- Restricted by security or confidentiality.
Introducing money
The first request may involve:
- Travel costs;
- Medical treatment;
- Customs charges;
- Legal fees;
- A family emergency;
- A business problem;
- An investment opportunity;
- Cryptocurrency trading;
- Funds needed before a planned meeting.
The relationship is used to make the request appear personal and urgent rather than commercial.
Local warning signs for families and advisers
Family members, bank staff, solicitors, accountants and financial advisers may notice changes before they understand the full circumstances.
Possible indicators include:
- Unexpected bank transfers;
- New borrowing or credit;
- Attempts to sell property quickly;
- Large cryptocurrency purchases;
- Gift-card transactions;
- Secrecy about a new relationship;
- Plans to move abroad suddenly;
- Repeated financial emergencies involving the online contact;
- Withdrawal from family or friends;
- Defensiveness when questions are raised;
- Requests for help using unfamiliar financial platforms;
- A new partner who cannot be independently verified.
These signs may have innocent explanations. They should prompt a calm conversation rather than an immediate accusation.
How to raise concerns without causing isolation
A victim may genuinely believe the relationship is real.
Telling them that they are foolish or gullible can increase shame and make them less likely to disclose further payments.
A more constructive approach is to:
- Choose a calm and private time to speak.
- Ask how the relationship began.
- Listen without ridicule or interruption.
- Focus on specific inconsistencies.
- Encourage a temporary pause in payments.
- Offer to contact the bank together.
- Suggest independent identity verification.
- Help preserve messages and transaction records.
- Remain supportive if they are not immediately persuaded.
Devon and Cornwall Police provides romance-fraud advice and victim accounts intended to help people recognise the financial and emotional consequences of the crime.
Warning signs within the relationship
One sign alone does not prove fraud. Concern should increase where several behaviours occur together.
Possible warning signs include:
- The relationship becoming intense unusually quickly;
- Repeated excuses for avoiding an in-person meeting;
- Cancelled or poor-quality video calls;
- Inconsistent information about work, location or family;
- Pressure to leave the original dating platform;
- Requests to keep the relationship secret;
- Claims involving military, medical, celebrity or business status;
- An urgent request for money;
- Investment or cryptocurrency opportunities;
- Requests for gift cards or loans;
- Instructions to receive or forward money;
- Anger or distress when reasonable questions are asked.
For a full prevention checklist, read How to Spot a Romance Scam: Warning Signs and Practical Steps.
Why investment fraud may appear inside the relationship
Some romance-fraud cases develop into investment fraud.
The offender may claim that they have expertise in:
- Cryptocurrency;
- Foreign exchange;
- Shares;
- Commodities;
- Gold;
- Property;
- Artificial-intelligence trading.
The victim may be directed to a professional-looking website or app displaying false profits.
A small withdrawal may initially be allowed. Later, the platform may demand:
- Tax;
- Insurance;
- A security deposit;
- A withdrawal fee;
- Additional investment;
- Identity-verification charges.
The relationship creates trust, while the false platform creates the appearance of financial legitimacy.
Do not invest through a platform recommended by someone whose identity and financial claims have not been independently verified.
What to do before sending money
Take these steps:
- Pause the transaction.
- Speak to a trusted friend or relative.
- Verify the person’s identity independently.
- Check photographs and profile history.
- Confirm employment through independently sourced details.
- Contact the bank using a verified telephone number.
- Do not borrow or release property funds.
- Do not buy gift cards for someone known only online.
- Do not invest through a platform they recommend.
- Reject requests involving secrecy or immediate action.
A genuine relationship should withstand reasonable verification where substantial money or property is involved.
What to do after money has been sent
Act promptly:
- Stop further payments.
- Contact the bank or payment provider immediately.
- Ask whether recent transfers can be recalled or reviewed.
- Preserve full messages, profile details and payment records.
- Report the matter through Report Fraud or the appropriate police force.
- Notify the dating or social-media platform.
- Secure email, banking and social-media accounts.
- Tell someone you trust.
- Avoid confronting the suspected fraudster.
- Do not pay anyone promising guaranteed recovery.
National police figures show that more than £102 million was reported lost to romance fraud in the latest year, which demonstrates why early banking contact and evidence preservation are important.
For detailed post-loss guidance, read Romance Fraud Investigation and Asset Recovery: What Victims Should Do.
Evidence to preserve
Retain:
- Full message histories;
- Profile URLs and usernames;
- Telephone numbers;
- Email addresses;
- Photographs and videos;
- Voice notes;
- Bank-account details;
- Payment references;
- Gift-card receipts;
- Cryptocurrency wallet addresses;
- Transaction hashes;
- Investment-platform screenshots;
- Company names and websites;
- Documents supplied by the person;
- Dates and reasons for each payment request.
Where possible, export complete conversations rather than saving only selected screenshots.
Keep original files securely and avoid editing the only copy.
Why under-reporting matters
Romance fraud is widely believed to be under-reported.
Victims may hesitate because they:
- Feel embarrassed;
- Fear being blamed;
- Still believe part of the relationship was genuine;
- Expect the money to be returned;
- Worry about family reactions;
- Do not recognise the conduct as criminal;
- Have been threatened or isolated;
- Believe the matter is too personal to report.
Regional statistics therefore show only the cases that entered the reporting system.
Supporting victims without judgment may improve reporting and reduce the risk of further payments.
The emotional consequences
The harm is not limited to money.
Victims may experience:
- Grief for the relationship they believed was genuine;
- Shame or humiliation;
- Anxiety and depression;
- Sleep problems;
- Loss of trust;
- Debt or housing insecurity;
- Conflict with relatives;
- Fear of further contact;
- Approaches from recovery scammers.
Support may be needed even where the financial loss is limited.
Local police advice highlights both the emotional and financial consequences of romance fraud.
Recovery scams after the original fraud
Victims may later be contacted by someone claiming to have found the money.
Warning signs include:
- Unsolicited contact;
- Guaranteed recovery;
- Requests for tax or release fees;
- Impersonation of police, banks or regulators;
- Pressure to pay in cryptocurrency;
- Requests for remote access;
- Claims that the recovery must remain confidential;
- No clear written scope or explanation of limitations.
Do not assume that someone is legitimate because they know details of the original loss. Victim data may be shared or sold between criminals.
When an investigation may help
An investigation may be appropriate where:
- The claimed identity cannot be verified;
- A substantial payment is being proposed;
- Money has already been sent;
- Several aliases or accounts are involved;
- Companies or investment platforms have been introduced;
- Cryptocurrency wallets are involved;
- The matter crosses several countries;
- Family members need objective evidence;
- A bank or solicitor requires an organised evidential record.
Depending on the available information, enquiries may include:
- Identity and alias checks;
- Social-media analysis;
- Image and profile comparison;
- Company and address research;
- Telephone and email enquiries;
- Website and domain examination;
- Financial intelligence;
- Cryptocurrency tracing;
- Asset tracing;
- Evidence collation.
An investigation cannot guarantee identification, prosecution or financial recovery.
Romance-fraud investigation support
Conflict International assists individuals, families and legal advisers with cases involving suspected romance fraud, false identities and financial deception.
Depending on the circumstances, our work may include:
- Identity and background enquiries;
- Open-source and digital investigation;
- Company and address research;
- Financial intelligence;
- Cryptocurrency analysis;
- Asset tracing;
- Evidence collation;
- International investigative support.
Learn more about our Fraud and Financial Investigation Services, or contact us in confidence to discuss the available information and realistic next steps.
Where money has recently been transferred, contact the bank and report the fraud before waiting for a private investigation.