At Barclays, we define a romance scam as a scam where someone pretends to be interested in a romantic relationship. In doing so, they gain their victim’s trust before manipulating them into sending money or personal information, something which can cause immense financial and emotional harm.

In 2025, one in 10 (12 per cent) UK adults have been targeted, or know someone who has been targeted, by a romance scam, marking it as a widespread and increasingly expensive problem.

New data from Barclays shows that the average amount lost to a romance scam in 2024 was £8,000, an increase of £2,200 from 2023’s figure of under £5,800. Those aged 61 or over are most susceptible, with the average claim totalling £19,000, which suggests that romance scammers are requesting money from older victims who are potentially less digitally-savvy.

This data chimes with many of the high-profile cases that have been widely reported, including the “AI Brad Pitt,” where a French interior decorator identified only as “Anne” was scammed out of 830,000 euros (around £695,000) by someone impersonating Brad Pitt and his mother on social networks. The scam took place over the course of a year and across multiple social media platforms, demonstrating the length fraudsters are prepared to go to and the sums of money that can be involved. 

Thus far in 2025, men make up a greater share of total reports for romance scams. That is both in terms of volume and value, at 60 per cent and 57 per cent, respectively.

As shown in Barclays research, scammers are prepared to go to extreme lengths and play on emotions to try and extract money.

Of those targeted by a romance scammer, two fifths (39 per cent) said that they had been communicating with a fraudster for less than a month when the scammer asked for money, with 32 per cent adding that the scammer created a false sense of urgency and put them under pressure to act quickly.

In the case of the fake Brad Pitt, the scammer used artificial intelligence to show the actor in a hospital, telling “Anne” he had kidney cancer and needed her help to pay for treatment – a frequent tactic used by scammers.

When asked what the reasons scammers had used to ask for money, Barclays data showed the top responses included fake emergencies (32 per cent), travel costs, such as flights and visas (26 per cent) and medical bills and expenses (26 per cent).

Speaking about this, Kirsty Adams, Fraud and Scams Expert at Barclays said: “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. Romance scammers have taken advantage of the shift online, using these channels to target potential victims.”

More than a quarter of victims of romance scams said they were feeling lonely when the scammer contacted them, and one fifth (19 per cent) said they overlooked red flags because they were excited about the prospect of finding love. As you might imagine, the consequences of being targeted by a romance scam can be long-lasting. 

Over a third (36 per cent) of those who fell victim to a romance scam felt angry after discovering what had happened, and 37 per cent told us the experience of being targeted by a romance scammer had put them off dating or searching for a potential partner online.

Barclays is calling for more protection for consumers to guard them against fraud and scams, a call that is overwhelmingly backed by the public, with 76 per cent of consumers agreeing that tech firms should do more to prevent romance scams from taking place on their platforms.

Speaking about this, Adams added: “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.”

For advice on how to stop romance scams, please visit Barclays’ dedicated page.