Romance scam reports have risen 20% in the first quarter of 2025 year-on-year, as online dating continues to gain popularity.

Barclays found that one in ten UK adults have been targeted by a romance scam, or know someone who has been targeted.

On average last year, victims lost £8,000, increased to £19,000 for those 61 and over.

Three quarters of consumers want tech companies to do more to prevent romance scammers on their platforms.

The majority of these romance scams originated from social media sites and online dating platforms, Barclays Scams Bulletin revealed.

Romance scams take place when someone pretends to be interested in a romantic relationship, gaining their victim’s trust before manipulating them into sending money or personal information, causing financial and emotional harm.

“Social media platforms and dating apps are by far the biggest sources of romance scams, which is no surprise considering how the dating landscape has changed over the decades,” Kirsty Adams, fraud and scams expert at Barclays, said.

“Romance scammers have taken advantage of the shift online, using these channels to target potential victims. Falling for a romance scam can be both financially and emotionally devastating. We need tech companies to step up their support and take greater action to prevent scammers from operating on their platforms.”

Baby boomers are facing the most financial harm, with the average claim of £19,000 for those over 61 being more than double the average for adults over all (£8,000).

Across romance scam claims made this year so far, men make up a greater share in total reports both in terms of volume and value, at 60% and 57% respectively.

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Of those targeted by a romance scammer, two fifths (39%) said they had been communicating with the scammer for less than a month when the scammer asked for money.

A third (32%) said the scammer created a false sense of urgency and put them under pressure to act quickly.

When asked the reasons scammers gave for needing money, top responses included fake emergencies (32%), travel costs such as flights and visas (26%), and medical bills and expenses (26%).

Romance scammers typically exploit people’s emotions to gain trust and trick people into sending money.

Over a quarter (27%) of victims said they were feeling lonely when the scammer contacted the, with a fifth (19%) saying their excitement prevented them from seeing red flags.

Those who have been targeted by a romance scam describe feeling angry (36%), embarrassed (25%), and vulnerable (15%) when they realised what happened.

The experience of being targeted by a romance scammer even discouraged close to four in ten (37%) from dating or searching for a potential partner in the future.