AVOID BEING A VALENTINE VICTIM

With only a week to go, we are urging Tamworth residents to be vigilant of falling victim to romance scams ahead of Valentine’s Day this year, having received recent reports of individuals being conned out of thousands of pounds.

Nationally, more than £100 million is lost by people scammed by this type of fraud every year.

Romance scams involve often vulnerable individuals being conned into sending money to criminals, who will go to great lengths to gain the victim’s trust and convince them they are in a genuine relationship.

Most recently in Staffordshire, we have had three incidents of romance fraud, affecting both male and female victims

In one case, a woman sent a man, who she believed to be a well-known celebrity, £5,000 in cash allegedly for a flight to the UK. The scammer never turned up and the victim realised she had been duped.

For more information: https://www.staffordshire.police.uk/news/staffordshire/news/2026/january/officers-urge-caution-after-recent-romance-scams-ahead-of-valentines-day/