Latest scams

Romance Scams

What are romance scams?

A romance scam happens when you are tricked into believing you have met your perfect match. The other person is a criminal with a fake profile, trying to form a relationship with you to gain your trust and persuade you to send them money.

What to look out for?

Someone you have never met in person who works offshore, in the army, or abroad asks you for money for an urgent reason. These reasons can vary from things like paying for medical expenses to flight tickets and visa payment
The person you’re speaking to doesn’t want to or can’t video call you
You’re told that it’s a sign of love to send the money

Steps you can take to protect yourself

Talk to someone you trust about what’s happening and who you’re speaking to or in a relationship with, or you can always come and talk to us.
Look out for the warning signs. How did you first connect with this person? Did they approach you? If so, stay extra vigilant.
Perform a reverse image search on search engines to find out if a photo has been taken from somewhere, or someone, else.
Take it slow, if something seems a bit off, trust your instincts. Don’t let your heart rule your head.
Don’t send money to someone you haven’t met in person. No matter how much they tell you they love you or want to be with you.

If you think you have been targeted in a romance scam, you’re not alone. Often people feel ashamed or embarrassed about this type of a scam, but it’s important you let us know what has happened. Contact us immediately using the number on the back of your card.

Protect yourself and others, visit our fraud and security centre to find out more.