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# Police issue romance scam warning ahead of Valentine’s Day
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/police-issue-romance-scam-warning-ahead-of-valentines-day/
- Published: 2026-02-04T08:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-02-03T08:06:03.000Z
- Description: Police are urging people not to be unlucky in love by falling victim to romance scams in the run up to Valentine’s Day.
- Author: Lichfield Live
- Tags: Crime, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-07-22 18:11, News

POLICE are urging people not to be unlucky in love by falling victim to romance scams in the run up to Valentine’s Day.

National estimates suggest that more than £100million is lost by people to such fraud every year.

The scams often involve vulnerable individuals being conned into sending money to criminals who convince them they are in a genuine relationship.

Staffordshire Police say there have been three recent incidents in the county.

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

In another instance, a woman met a man who she believed to be a soldier living abroad through social media. She sent him thousands of pounds in anticipation of him flying to the UK.

But the fraudster made numerous excuses for more cash and never turned up. The victim is now in debt, having taken out loans to send to the suspect.

Another victim was a man who met a woman online, who later asked him to invest in crypto currency. He initially sent £2,000 as she had promised him an £800,000 return when she moved to the UK. But again, they never arrived and continued to request more money.

The victim eventually lost in the region of £300,000.

Simon Street, from Staffordshire Police, said:

> “Scammers use advanced techniques to lure victims into their web of deceit, taking their time to build up trust and the impression that they genuinely care for them.  
>  
> “The ruse enables them to convince victims to send increasing amounts of cash, with more elaborate excuses each time, as to why they never turn up.  
>  
> “This is why we are urging people to keep their wits about them. If they think they or anyone they know is being taken advantage of, to report it to us so we can investigate.  
>  
> “It is very important that, no matter how long you have been speaking to someone online, and no matter how much you think you trust them, you must never – no matter how many times they ask – send money or gift cards, allow access to your bank account, provide copies of personal documents or agree to receive or send parcels on their behalf.”

Anyone who is concerned about falling victim to such scams can call 101 or report it directly to the national [Report Fraud](https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reportfraud.police.uk%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cjessica.labhart%40staffordshire.police.uk%7Cf7498c927e7b46ca0a6208de6009b779%7Cd492250406c0431d8eca67087dea03c8%7C0%7C0%7C639053792021818392%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Ht8DRhAbWAVqCAkw3TSa%2Bevyj95qlPN4B9bSRP8jvlo%3D&reserved=0&ref=lichfieldlive.co.uk) service.