A WARRINGTON woman conned out of more than £50,000 in a cruel romance fraud has shared her heartbreaking story.

It comes on valentine’s Day, and as part of Cheshire Police’s month-long focus on romance fraud, which is one of the most common crime types seen today, accounting for in excess of 40 per cent of all crime in England and Wales.

It sees unsuspecting victims scammed by someone they have formed a relationship with, made easier by online dating, and police say ‘love bombing’ tactics can be hard to resist.

To raise further awareness that anyone can be a victim of fraud, Lyn, in her 60s and from Warrington, has shared her story of how she fell prey to a man supposedly named ‘Derek’ who defrauded her out of her pension after meeting her online.

The two engaged in an online relationship in 2020 and never met in person, with Derek telling Lyn that he had recently moved from Manchester to Dubai, where he owned a mineral company.

To aid in the sham, the scammer had taken and edited pictures from the internet to manipulate Lyn into thinking that he, and the relationship, were genuine.

As the relationship progressed, Lyn had withdrawn more than £50,000 out of her pension and transferred it to Derek as a gift.

She was also encouraged to open multiple Coinbase and cryptocurrency accounts to send more of her own money to Derek, and others claiming to be business associates of his.

These constant requests for money eventually resulted in her cashing her entire pension and transferring it to the suspect.

She believed that she was merely helping Derek with medical bills and business-related expenses, however this was all a lie, and she was being taken advantage of.

In January 2021, Lyn received a knock at her door from Cheshire Police informing her she was in fact being scammed and not in a real relationship.

PC Jim Day, from the force’s economic crime unit, met with Lyn, led the investigation and signposted her to Cheshire Police’s peer support group.

This aims was to provide a safe and confidential space where people who have experienced romance fraud can chat openly.

Alongside the emotional support Lyn was provided, PC Day went to her bank and brought forward a fraud case.

It was found that the bank had missed several opportunities to step in and prevent the transferring of further funds.

While enquiries in relation to identifying the suspect remain ongoing, Lyn’s life has taken a more positive turn.

She has since found a more local and genuine partner, as well as being successfully refunded the money that had been unwittingly transferred to the scammers.

PC Day said: “Previous relationships and experiences can shape one's expectations, trust issues, communication styles, and attachment patterns.

“However, that makes us susceptible to someone promising love. It’s tempting to ignore doubts and see what we want to see.

“Romance fraudsters prey on and exploit insecurities, gaining trust over prolonged periods of time before money is transferred either in the form of gifts or through a request for help.

“With fraud accounting for 41 per cent of all recorded crime nationally, this achievement highlights the significant financial impact that fraud has on people within our communities in Cheshire.

“We have been very lucky in that we have managed to secure a refund for Lyn, and every penny we are able to successfully recover in these investigations is a huge step forward in showing scammers that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated.”

To help prevent romance fraud, do not rush into an online relationship – get to know the person, not the profile, and ask plenty of questions.

Analyse their profile and confirm the person's identity by checking they are genuine through searching their name and profile pictures along with ‘dating scam’ in a search engine.

Never send money or share your bank details with someone you've only met online, no matter what reason they give or how long you have been speaking to them.

Most importantly, talk to your friends and family, and be wary of anyone who tells you not to tell others about them.

If you think you have been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040.

If you are interested in finding out more about the support group, email jim.day@cheshire.police.uk