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Police have warned online dating partners about the risks of fake celebrity profiles after a woman lost around £5,000 to a romance fraudster posing as TV chef James Martin.
Nottinghamshire Police said the scam was part of a trend where scammers are posing as celebrities on dating profiles to attract fans.
The number of reports of romance scams has risen sharply in recent years, police said, but the true extent is unknown because many victims are too embarrassed to come forward.
Police said they received 12 reports of such cases last month and another 11 reports in August.
A lot of people hear about these scams and think, “That wouldn’t fool me.” But these scams are clever and that’s why it’s really important for people to be vigilant when communicating with others online
Detective Sergeant Tara Clapperton
Three of them involved celebrity impersonators who created fake profiles to trick their victims into handing over money.
The woman scammed by the James Martin impersonator initially ignored three Facebook messages before the scammer managed to convince her he was the ITV star.
The scammer eventually persuaded them to lend them money, but it was never paid back.
In another case, a vulnerable woman was persuaded to buy and transfer Steam gift cards after believing she had been talking to Il Divo singer Urs Bühler for two months.
A third woman was tricked into sending explicit images to a romance scammer she believed was Take That frontman Gary Barlow.
The scammer threatened to share the pictures she sent them on TikTok with her friends and family.
Detective Sergeant Tara Clapperton, from the police’s fraud prevention team, said fraudsters typically target their victims via dating apps or social media, but then often try to move the conversation to other platforms such as WhatsApp.
They often claim to live or work abroad to explain why they can’t meet in person and invent reasons why they shouldn’t turn on their camera during a phone call.
At some point, they would start telling stories about family or legal problems, business problems or medical bills, she added.
They may be hesitant to accept help at first, but it’s “all part of the scam” and in the end victims are persuaded to send more and more money.
She added: “A lot of people hear about these scams and think, ‘I wouldn’t be fooled by that’.”
“But these scams are clever and that’s why it’s really important that people are vigilant when communicating with others online.
“Online dating can be a fun and empowering experience, but to avoid falling victim to romance scams it’s really important to follow some really simple advice: If you’ve started an online relationship and the discussion turns to money – whatever for whatever reason or the amounts – then alarm bells should ring.
“Never send money to people you have never met in person, no matter how much you have spoken online.
“Speaking to a real friend or family member can be a good way to feel what’s going on.”
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