Sussex residents lose nearly £200,000 to dating scammers every year, new study reveals

The stats, released by the pros at Scams.info, suggest Sussex residents lost £195,592 per 100,000 people to dating scams last year. The expert analysts drew on data from the government’s national fraud insurance bureau, which shows that, nationwide, £100 million was lost to dating scams in 2022 alone.

Although Sussex is among the more vulnerable counties in the UK, it’s Bedfordshire topping the national list, losing £575,216 per 100,000 people. Hot on its heels is Gwent in Wales, whose residents lost £560,954 per 100,000 people.

Neighbouring Hampshire comes in just behind Sussex, at number 12, with £184,896 of losses reported in 2022.

It seems Scotland could be the most resistant to dating scams, however. The entire country reported just 109 dating fraud incidents in 2022, and lost just £20,073 per 100,000 people.

Alongside the news and ahead of Valentines Day on February 14, Sussex Police have issued advice to residents hoping to keep their hard-earned cash.

"Fraudsters do not initially ask the victims for money,” a spokesperson said. “Instead they spend time communicating with them online and building trust. By the time they ask for large sums of money, the reasons for requiring financial assistance have greater plausibility. This is known as the ‘grooming period’.”

To avoid scammers, Sussex Police officers have warned residents to remember the following acronym: DATES.

"Don’t rush into an online relationship – get to know the person, not the profile: ask plenty of questions.

“Analyse their profile – confirm the person's identity. Check the person is genuine by putting their name, profile pictures or any repeatedly-used phrases and the term ‘dating scam’ into your search engine.

“Talk to your friends and family - be wary of anyone who tells you not to tell others about them.

“Evade scams - never send money or share your bank details with someone you’ve only met online, no matter what reason they give or how long you've been speaking to them.

“Stay on the dating site messenger service - don't use email, phone, social media or other messaging apps until you’re confident the person is who they say they are.”

Read more

Video interview: how rap can be a life-saver for young men's mental health