Frauds

A ‘heartbroken’ cancer survivor who was conned out of thousands of pounds in a romance fraud has warned it could happen to anyone.

Karen, who lives in the Mansfield area, met her would-be love interest on an online gaming platform. He tricked her into believing he had feelings for her, before grooming her into handing over money over the months that followed.

Police officers in south Shropshire are warning residents to be on the alert for fraudsters posing as police officers.

West Mercia Police say they have number of reports in the Highley and Cleobury Mortimer areas of fraudsters claiming to be from various police services around the country.

https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/local-hubs/bridgnorth/2024/02/14/police-fraudsters-reported-in-highley/

A WARRINGTON woman conned out of more than £50,000 in a cruel romance fraud has shared her heartbreaking story.

It comes on valentine’s Day, and as part of Cheshire Police’s month-long focus on romance fraud, which is one of the most common crime types seen today, accounting for in excess of 40 per cent of all crime in England and Wales.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/warrington-woman-conned-50k-romance-145904355.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=tw&tsrc=twtr

Social housing tenancy fraud costs the taxpayer millions of pounds every year. With more than one million people on the waiting list for a social home and the current economic climate making building social homes challenging, it’s an issue all housing associations and councils need to tackle.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/comment/social-housing-fraud-is-costing-you-millions-84000

A woman in Cumbernauld has been scammed out of a four-figure sum after being contacted by a man claiming to be a police officer.

The woman received a call from a man pretending to be an officer who said her bank cards had been compromised and used in fraud.

Council homes are increasingly being rented out as holiday lets, fuelling a surge in fraud that is costing taxpayers £6.2bn, i can reveal.

Fraud investigators and local authorities said Airbnb, Booking.com and other popular platforms are doing too little to block illegal adverts of social homes.

Ever spend Valentine’s Day alone?

If so, you might understand why February is such a busy month for romance scammers.

“I’ve never felt so seen or understood by another person in my life,” 62-year-old Marie says about a man she met online last year. “We had the deepest conversations I’ve ever had. The most romantic and soulful.” Marie is an experienced online dater and an acclaimed artist based in Florida, with no spouse or kids.

In a survey conducted by ReBound in collaboration with Censuswide, alarming statistics have come to light, revealing that 48% of consumers openly admit to engaging in returns fraud.

https://www.theretailbulletin.com/general-merchandise/survey-exposes-consumer-misconceptions-and-the-impact-of-returns-fraud-on-retail-08-02-2024/

Three men convicted of fraud and acquiring criminal property relating to poultry, amounting to a loss of nearly £320,000, have been sentenced to prison.

Rana Dhaia, owner of Townsend Poultry in Wolverhampton, together with Darren Williams and Elliot Smith, both managers employed by the 2 Sisters Food Group in North Wales, conspired together to commit fraud.

A fraudster who conned four women out of more than £300,000 has been jailed for seven years.

Cieran McNamara was leading a lavish lifestyle, travelling on first class trains and planes, and staying in five star hotels before he was caught by Cheshire Police.