'Tinder swindlers' and romance criminals conning thousands of residents

Heartless fraudsters are "spending many months" grooming their victims and tricking them into thinking they are in a relationship before asking for cash.

Between 2020 and 2021 the number of victims reporting fraud, which includes 'share scams' involving the sale of fraudulent shares, romance fraud and bogus ticket sales grew from 13,331 to 15,555.

However, the victims of cyber crime are being let down as the complicated nature of where the criminals are operating from makes the recovery of money, compared to the theft of property, increasingly hard.

The shocking statistics were revealed in a report discussed at the West Midlands Police Crime and Commissioner monthly meeting today.

The West Midlands Victims Commissioner Nicky Brennan said: "Netflix putting out the Tinder Swindler documentary has caused discussion of the problem and I know there is an awareness campaign around Valentine's Day but this needs to be throughout the year."

West Midlands Police Chief Constable Jayne Meir explained that cyber crime and fraudsters now pose some of the biggest challenges facing the force.

She said: "We work with dating sites, especially where women are targeted in forums and dating sites. It is a significant challenge, it takes many months of grooming, that means the victim parting with money to someone who they think they are in a relationship with. We would say do not part with any money to someone they have not met, or their friends and family have met.

The City of London Police work with West Midlands Police in targetting fraudsters and flagging up victims of crimes and highlighting the various scams which are being carried out.

Due to the nature of online fraud the jurisdiction can get confused because the crime might be carried out from abroad - even in a "hostile environment" which UK police cannot follow up.

Chief Constable Dave Thompson said: "The challenge is you have lost property and the viable lines of inquiry are very limited. People have lost lots of money and they want to see a traditional approach to policing but it is very complicated."

Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster criticised the Government's approach to fraud and cyber crime.

He said: "The national response to fraud and cyber crime lacks coordination and is failing victims. There is a clear need for an end-to-end overhaul of the way fraud is dealt with, throughout our criminal justice system."

"Currently fraud victims are pushed from local forces to Action Fraud at the City of London Police and back again, without any clear expectations of the response they can expect."

He added: "Fraud is a national issue that needs a national response that is commensurate with the level of demand, risk and threat.

"Unfortunately, in the words of the former Treasury Minister who recently resigned, we currently have a government that has 'little interest in the consequences of fraud to our society'.

"That is unacceptable. The Government needs to cease its all too casual, laissez-faire attitude and commit to doing what it what it takes to prevent and tackle fraud."