Romance scam victims lose £5,000 in more than a third of cases

A third of "romance scams" result in victims losing more than £5,000, with older adults most at risk, a survey suggests.

Some 37% of the scams - when a victim is convinced to make a payment to someone they believe they are in a relationship with after meeting them online - result in losses in excess of £5,000, with those aged between 45 and 64 the most likely victims, according to the poll for Barclays.

The bank said this age group now represented more than half (55%) of all reported instances of romance scams.

But across all age groups, almost half of daters (43%) admit they would trust someone after speaking through a dating site for just two weeks, even prior to meeting them, the survey indicated.

Jodie Gilbert, head of digital safety at Barclays, said: "Whilst millions of us take to dating websites and apps to find true love, criminals are getting ready to pounce on anyone who lets their guard down.

"We must all remain aware whilst looking for the warning signs, such as someone asking you to help them out of an 'unfortunate situation' by sending money."

Opinium surveyed 2,009 adults who have used a dating site or app in the last five years between September 21-28.