Dutch victims lost over €7.6 million to dating scams last year; Up 75 percent

Last year, 264 people in the Netherlands suffered a massive 7,644,870 euros in damage from dating fraud. That is an increase of 75 percent compared to the nearly 4.4 million euros in dating fraud damage in 2022, according to figures from the Fraud Help Desk.

Last year, 494 people came forward as victims of dating fraud, and 264 of them suffered financial damage. The average damage amount per person amounted to 30,000 euros. According to the Fraud Help Desk, the high damage amount is partly due to a relatively new tactic of investment fraud - the fraudster doesn’t ask the victim directly for money but persuades them to invest in fake investments.

The Fraud Help Desk teamed up with dating app Tinder and Victim Support Netherlands to help combat dating fraud. The campaign aims to make online daters more aware of the signs of dating fraud so that they can better protect themselves online. The in-app campaign on Tinder will give users tips on spotting a fraud while they’re swiping.

Fraudsters often use fake profiles, so the easiest way to spot a potential fraud is by googling their name and photo. No hits on the name could indicate that it's not a real person. Finding the photo on different websites is another indication. Ask for a video call to see if the person you’re talking to really looks like the pic.

Tell your loved ones about the interaction. “Advice from others can prevent emotions from gaining the upper hand,” the Fraud Help Desk advised. And don’t send the person money or gift cards or engage in financial transactions.