Greater Manchester dating scams have amassed £7M and is among the hardest hit regions
New data by Action Fraud Claims Advice has found that Greater Manchester is among the regions hit hardest by dating scams, costing UK victims over a quarter of a billion pounds in three years.
Action Fraud Claims Advice, the national reporting centre for fraud, said that there were “21,976 reports of dating scams received between 2022/23 and 2024/25.”
Love Island star, Georgia Steele fell victim to romance scammer Medi Abalimba who was a former professional footballer and had been with Derby County, Oldham Athletic, Southend United, Fulham and Crystal Palace and had trials with Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool in his youth.
Abalimba persuaded his victims to pay for stays in luxury hotels, helicopter trips and trips around the world.
Based on self-reported losses, Greater Manchester victims collectively parted with “£7,350,001” after being manipulated by romance scammers.
Action Fraud, said: “With 689 cases traced back to the region overseen by Greater Manchester Police, the average loss for a victim is £10,668.”
Adding: “The £7.3m-plus total stolen from Greater Manchester residents by dating fraudsters was only eclipsed by six regions, including Greater London (£47.2m) and Thames Valley (£10.9m).”
In total, reported losses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from 2022/23 to 2024/25 reached “£271,430,524.”
Men fell victim to the most scams, according to the reports. They flagged 10,634 incidents, while women had fewer reports with 8,892.
Action Fraud said: “The loss was higher for transgender victims, who were defrauded to the tune of over £1 million at a shocking average of £27,234 per recorded case.”
Adding: “the average age for a fraud victim was 47 years old in 2022/23, rising marginally to 48 the year after, and 49 in 2024/25.”
Lisa Mills, Senior Fraud Manager at Victim Support for Action Fraud Claims Advice, said: “Romance fraud is a devastating crime. For victims, it isn’t just a question of losing large sums of money. The psychological and emotional impact of being deceived by someone you trusted deeply can knock your confidence and sense of self-worth enormously.”
Adding: “If you have been a victim, you are not to blame – fraudsters are skilled manipulators who use social engineering to manipulate thousands of people every year.”
Victims of dating scams can contact Action Fraud by visiting: https://www.actionfraud.org.uk/romance-scam/