News

Romance fraud: Scammers move beyond dating websites to prey on innocent victims

Published

5 years ago

January 29, 2021

PREYING on players on games websites, using fake photos, and fabricating family emergencies. Police have listed just some of the ways romance fraudsters find their victims and scam them into sending hundreds or thousands of pounds.

Dyfed-Powys Police’s Economic Crime Team is urging people to have their wits about them as it deals with an increasing number of romance fraud cases as people look for friendship or love online.

As part of Dyfed-Powys Police’s INTACT campaign, a communication, education and enforcement campaign led by the force’s Serious Violence and Organised Crime Team, the potentially life-shattering consequences of falling foul of a romance fraud are being highlighted this month.

Fraud safeguarding officer Rebecca Jones said: “We have had victims who have lost their life’s savings, have had to sell their homes, and are completely destroyed after sending huge amounts of money to someone they thought they were in a relationship with.

“Aside from the financial aspect, these victims have lost trust in themselves and others, find it very difficult to open up about what they have been through, and feel totally isolated while trying to recover emotionally.”

Romance fraud is described as when someone creates a fake identity to enter into a relationship with a victim, with the intent to steal either funds or personal information. However, while this kind of crime is also known as a dating scam, relationships are not solely started through dating websites as is frequently believed.

“We do get a number of victims who have gone online to find romance, and have ended up being targeted by criminals,” Rebecca said.

“However, we are now finding that fraudsters are moving into different areas. We have had incidents where two people have met on a games website, where the victim had no intention of finding a partner, and even where a writer had posted work online and was contacted by a scammer who eventually asked for several thousands of pounds.

“As scammers constantly adapt the way they prey on victims, we are urging people to be cautious in all areas of their online lives.”

Despite using various types of websites to seek out unsuspecting victims, the majority of romance fraud incidents follow a similar pattern.

First, trust is gained and a relationship is built up. Then the scammer moves on to asking for money – claiming they have a family or medical emergency, or saying they will use the funds buy a flight ticket to visit their partner. Once this money has been sent, the criminal will keep coming up with new reasons for more money to be sent.

In two recent cases investigated by Dyfed-Powys Police, fraudsters have used photos of international models to set up fake accounts. In one instance, the scammer uploaded a photo of a model with her son, in an attempt to make their victim believe they had a family who needed financial help.

“We do find that victims can be lured in by attractive photos, and very often they do not suspect that these photos have been sourced online,” Rebecca said.

“We know it goes against people’s trusting instincts, but we would highly recommend putting any photos they are sent through a reverse image checker to find the original source. While this is not a fool proof solution, it does offer a layer of protection.”

The Economic Crime Team has also warned that once victims have cut off contact with a scammer, they will still try to find ways of getting in touch with new claims for needing money.

“One of the victims we were supporting continued to receive contact from a person claiming to be a doctor asking for money to cover medical bills, while another posed as a police officer in a series of Skype messages.

“We can’t be sure if the victim told the offender they had reported them, or if they became suspicious after all contact suddenly stopped, but it goes to show the lengths they will take to try and keep the scam going.”

The team also warned that romance fraud can move beyond sending money to the criminal, with victims becoming money mules or being coerced into sextortion.

DC Gareth Jordan said: “Money muling is where the victim is asked to have funds put into their bank account, which is then transferred to someone else. “This is a crime, and we have experienced victims becoming distraught at finding out they have unknowingly broken the law in having their bank account used in this way.

“Sextortion is where the victim is asked to send the criminal sexual videos or photographs of themselves, and then receive threats that these will be shared with family or friends if they do not pay. This can also have a devastating impact on the emotional and mental health of victims, who feel backed into a corner with nowhere to turn.”

While Dyfed-Powys Police has seen a rise in romance fraud reports over the past year, officers fear the impact of lockdowns and isolations through 2020 and the beginning of 2021 is yet to be seen.

“What we know is that people have been increasingly lonely during the Covid-19 pandemic,” said DC Jordan.

“People have been shielding, isolating and living along without their usual level of contact with family and friends. It is natural to crave human contact, and the first place a lot of people will have turned over the past year is to the internet.

“There has been an increase in the number of reports we have received, but we know that some scammers will spend months, or even years, almost grooming their victims, so the true impact is unknown at present.

“We understand how hard it can be to come to terms with learning that the person you’ve built a relationship with – sometimes over a number of years – isn’t the person they said they were. We speak to victims who are dealing with it totally alone for fear of telling friends or family what has happened. We have support mechanisms in place to help you through the investigation stage and beyond.”

Tips to protect yourself:

1. Be cautious when sharing personal details with potential dates: revealing your full name, date of birth and home address could lead to your identity being stolen.
2. Pick a reputable dating website and use the site’s messaging service. Fraudsters will try to convince you to quickly switch to social media or texting so there’s no evidence of them asking you for money.
3. Never send or receive money or give away your bank details to someone you’ve only met online, no matter how much you trust them or believe their story.

Tips to protect a loved one:

1. Ask questions about your loved one’s new relationship: does it sound like both people are sharing the same kind of information at a similar pace?
2. Ask if you can see their profile: does it look genuine? Do they have multiple photographs that are clearly of the same person? Do the photos look too posed, or is the person clearly a model?
3. Don’t be afraid to share your suspicions with police. You are looking out for your friend or family member, and want to keep them safe. We can help.

Spot the signs:

• You’ve struck up a relationship with someone online; they’re asking a lot of personal questions about you, but they’re not interested in telling you much about themselves.
• Fraudsters often claim that they have high ranking roles or busy, important jobs that keep them away from home for long periods of time. This is to avoid suspicion as to why they can’t meet in person.
• They invent a reason to ask for your help, using the emotional attachment you’ve built with them. Your relationship with them may often depend on you sending money.
• Their pictures are too perfect – they may have been stolen from an actor or model. A reverse image search can find photos that have been taken from somewhere else. Ask a tech-savvy friend or relative to help if unsure.

Crime

Farming company fined £19,000 for damaging protected wildlife site

Published

16 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A CARDIGAN farming company has been ordered to pay almost £20,000 after recklessly damaging a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Jenkins Ty Hen Ltd, run by David Glyn Jenkins and William Lloyd Jenkins, of Ty Hen, Verwig, admitted damaging the Llwyn Ysgaw, Caeau Crug Bychan and Ty Gwyn SSSI through the unauthorised use of manure, slurry, fertilisers and lime.

The offences took place between June 21 and July 31, 2024.

The court heard that Natural Resources Wales had repeatedly warned the company about how the protected land should be managed.

Aled Watkins, prosecuting for NRW, said an agreement made in 2004 made clear that the landowners needed written consent before carrying out certain activities on the site, including the use of slurry, herbicides, pesticides, fertiliser or lime.

He said: “A significant amount of guidance, advice and warnings has been directed to the company over a substantial period of time, as there have been problems before.”

The court was told advice had been given in 2017, with further discussions in 2021. Further problems were identified in 2024, leading to advice letters and then a formal warning in June that year.

Mr Watkins said: “Even after the letters were sent, no consent request was made.

“The common sense conclusion was that, where the original agreement was clear and advice had been given years prior, this was a deliberate act by the landowners of spreading slurry on the SSSI.”

Jenkins Ty Hen Ltd pleaded guilty to intentionally or recklessly destroying or damaging flora on the protected site, contrary to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

The company also admitted permitting the use of manure, slurry, silage liquor, fertiliser or lime without written consent from NRW, knowing it was likely to damage rare flora and fauna as well as geological and physiographical features.

Defending, solicitor Harry Dickens said the company had not deliberately set out to damage the land.

“This is more akin to the business damaging the land rather than setting out within their practices to do that damage,” he said.

He added that various contractors were used at the farm and were not always aware of the regulations.

“The defendants did not go out intentionally to harm the flora and fauna,” he said.

“Yes, they had foresight of the warnings and the previous agreement, but this is more akin to wilful blindness rather than going out intending to damage the land. It was not a flagrant disregard.

“The defendants were not loutish in their usage of the land, they are not vandals, they have not been silent and neither have they stonewalled NRW.”

Mr Dickens said the farmers accepted the need to restore the land and were keen to work productively with the authorities.

District Judge Mark Layton said Jenkins Ty Hen Ltd had breached NRW requirements.

“They spread fertilisers, herbicides and slurry on the land which was a breach,” he said.

“This was clearly a deliberate act of culpability and a complete disregard after already being given advice and warnings.”

The court heard the company’s most recent financial turnover was just over £1.6m. It was described by the defence as a micro-business.

Jenkins Ty Hen Ltd was ordered to pay £19,940.66, made up of a £9,000 fine, £8,940.66 costs to NRW and a £2,000 surcharge.

A restoration order was also made requiring work to improve the quality of the damaged SSSI land.

News

Game of Thrones star urges voters to back anti-DARC parties

Published

17 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Tom Sinclair

ACTOR Jerome Flynn has urged voters in Wales to back parties opposed to the proposed DARC radar scheme at Cawdor Barracks, saying the issue could be decided by the next Welsh Government.

The Pembrokeshire-based Game of Thrones star, also known for Soldier Soldier and Robson & Jerome, made the appeal in a video released by PARC Against DARC on Tuesday (May 5), just two days before polling day in the Senedd election.

Radar row enters election campaign

Flynn urged voters in Ceredigion Penfro and across Wales to support Plaid Cymru or the Green Party, saying both parties had pledged to oppose the project.

The Ministry of Defence has submitted a planning application to Pembrokeshire County Council for 27 radar antennas and associated infrastructure at Cawdor Barracks, near Brawdy.

The scheme forms part of the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability programme, linked to the AUKUS defence partnership between the UK, US and Australia.

The MOD says DARC would help detect, identify and track objects in Earth orbit, supporting military and civilian satellite security.

Opponents claim the radar would industrialise part of the Pembrokeshire countryside, damage the setting of the national park, and increase the area’s military significance.

Flynn says project ‘not a done deal’

In the video, Flynn described the election as “probably the most crucial vote we’ve made in 25 years”.

He claimed the next Senedd could play a decisive role in the future of the project, saying: “I’m here to say, it’s not a done deal because Plaid Cymru and the Greens have both made party-led decisions to say no to Westminster.

“We’re not having such a thing on our beloved coast.”

Flynn also described St Davids as “the spiritual home of Wales” and criticised what he called “the most unspeakably abominable planning application” on the edge of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

Campaign steps up pressure

PARC Against DARC said it welcomed Flynn’s intervention and said it had distributed 22,000 leaflets around Pembrokeshire in recent weeks.

The campaign group said First Minister Eluned Morgan’s recent comments on the scheme did not go far enough.

A spokesperson said: “While Eluned Morgan has come out in the final hour to call for DARC to be halted, we fear this does not go nearly far enough.

“Plaid Cymru and the Green Party have both made it their national party policy to oppose and stop DARC, so we have no doubt of the authenticity of their commitment.”

The group is also urging residents to submit objections to Pembrokeshire County Council before the current publicity period ends on May 20.

Welsh Government role

Campaigners say the next Welsh Government could intervene by “calling in” the planning application, meaning Welsh ministers would take responsibility for deciding it rather than leaving the final decision with Pembrokeshire County Council.

That possibility has made DARC a significant local election issue in Ceredigion Penfro, where Eluned Morgan is Labour’s lead candidate, Elin Jones leads the Plaid Cymru list, and Amy Nicholass heads the Green Party list.

Under the new Senedd voting system, voters will elect six Members of the Senedd for the constituency using a proportional list system.

PARC Against DARC said this meant there was “far less need for tactical voting” and argued that voters opposed to the radar could support either Plaid Cymru or the Greens.

Wider concerns

Campaigners have repeatedly claimed that the radar would make Pembrokeshire a potential military target and draw Wales further into US military strategy.

They also say the project raises environmental, health, democratic and security concerns.

Supporters of the scheme argue that space monitoring is becoming increasingly important as satellites are used for communications, navigation, defence and emergency infrastructure.

Flynn ended his video by saying: “Vote with your heart because we can make a difference here, we could put in a government that cares about our land, our people and our environment.”

Whatever the outcome of Thursday’s election, the intervention by one of Pembrokeshire’s best-known residents is likely to keep the DARC controversy high on the political agenda.

News

Landlords in Wales face new anti-discrimination laws

Published

17 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Tom Sinclair

New rules from June 1 will make it unlawful to refuse renters because they have children or receive benefits

LANDLORDS in Wales are being warned to prepare for new anti-discrimination laws which come into force at the beginning of June.

From Monday, June 1, it will be unlawful for landlords and letting agents to discriminate against prospective contract-holders because they have children or receive benefits.

The change follows the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, which mainly reforms renting law in England, but also extends key anti-discrimination protections into Wales.

The Welsh provisions will be incorporated into the Renting Homes framework and will apply to occupation contracts. Unlike the civil penalty regime used in England, breaches in Wales may amount to a criminal offence, with enforcement handled by local authorities and cases dealt with through the courts.

What landlords cannot do

From June 1, landlords and agents must not deter people from applying for a property because they have children or receive benefits.

They must also not refuse or restrict access to viewings, prevent prospective tenants from receiving information about a property, or exclude them from entering into an occupation contract on those grounds.

The measures are aimed at ending blanket “no children” or “no benefits” policies, which campaigners have long argued unfairly shut families and low-income households out of the private rented sector.

Landlords will still be allowed to carry out affordability checks and assess whether a property is suitable. For example, a landlord may still decide that a particular room or property is physically unsuitable for children, but the decision must be based on the property itself rather than a blanket ban.

Paperwork deadline

Under the new rules, landlords will need to issue either a new occupation contract or a statement of variation to reflect the changes.

The statement can be served up to fourteen days after the rules take effect, meaning landlords should act by June 14.

Leading North Wales estate and lettings agent Cavendish, which has offices in Mold and Ruthin, says it has been advising landlords ahead of the deadline.

Nicola Blake, Operations Director at Cavendish, said: “While much of the focus in recent months has been on the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act in England, some of the changes are also impacting Wales.

“As of June 1, landlords in Wales will be subject to stringent anti-discrimination laws and failure to adhere to the new legislation could result in a criminal prosecution.”

She added: “This is a significant change for landlords in Wales, and we are helping our clients to be ready well ahead of the deadline, completing the required paperwork and ensuring they are fully compliant.”

Landlord seminar

Cavendish will hold a seminar later this year for landlords in Wales, covering legislative changes and advice on managing and improving property portfolios.

The event will take place on Monday, October 26, at Theatr Clwyd. Cavendish recently became a Gold Member of the Mold arts venue.

Cavendish was established in 1993 by Julian Adams, the firm’s chairman, and his then business partner Robert Ikin.

The company now employs more than thirty people across estate agency and lettings, with offices in Mold, Ruthin and Chester. It says it helps more than 600 homeowners move each year and manages around 650 properties.