Increasingly individuals across the UK are meeting people online and building relationships with people they’ve never met in person. Whilst there are genuine friendships made this way and romances started, inevitably there are scammers who are looking to take advantage of online friendships, pretending to be interested in you so you will give them money. Age UK have included Befriending Fraud in their latest scam bulletin, to raise awareness of this subject and provide advice for those who are concerned about a loved one and what to do if you think you’ve been a victim of this type of fraud. 

So, what should we look out for when striking up a friendship or romance? 

Is it too good to be true? Your new friend’s online profile has very attractive photos. They are extremely attentive at the beginning of the friendship and seem to say all the right things. They may seem very keen to do anything for you, even more than your family.  They don’t want you to tell others about your friendship and may persuade you not to talk to relatives or friends, telling you that others may be jealous or not understand. 

Online, fraudsters will try to move your conversations away from reputable websites as soon as possible, so they can’t be monitored. They may suggest messaging through WhatsApp, text, email or other services, such as Google hangouts. 

A trick fraudsters use is to promise they’ll video call you or come over to visit, but it never happens. They may claim they’re working abroad where there’s poor internet, or something has happened last minute so they can no longer meet up. If they do arrange a video call, just because you see a face, it doesn’t mean it’s theirs.

It is only a matter of time before a befriending fraudster asks for money or gifts. It may not even seem a large amount. The reasons could be anything from not having enough money for food and medicine, to travel costs or taxes they need to pay to claim an inheritance. They may even offer you an investment opportunity. They could even persuade you to have your benefits paid into their account.

There is a stigma around befriending and romance fraud, especially with older people. We can remove this by embracing the fact that older people are still looking for love, friendship and company. Talking openly about new friendships with others removes the secrecy which often plays into fraudsters hands. Having awareness and knowledge will empower us all to make safe decisions online, whatever our age.

If you would like more information about scams and how to keep yourself or a loved one safe visit www.ageuk.org.uk or www.gov.uk