Reports of romance scams in the UK rise by about a quarter, according to Lloyds banking data cited by outlets. The increase includes a particularly sharp growth in cases involving younger adults, with Gen Z making up a larger share of victims.
The sources say younger victims often encounter fraudsters through dating apps and social media, where scammers build relationships before attempting to extract money. The bank’s figures also indicate that older victims, while accounting for a smaller share of reported cases, typically lose more money per incident.
Across coverage, the main differences are in emphasis rather than the underlying trend: one outlet highlights the overall rise in reports, while another focuses on the age pattern of both the surge in younger victims and the higher typical losses among older people. Together, the reporting frames the change as an evolving scam targeting pattern, alongside the financial impact varying by age.
