A total of 16 Isle of Man residents contacted an action fraud service to say they had been victims of a dating scam.

Predatory dating scammers may have cost the British Isles public more than £400m in financial loss across just five years, according to Action Fraud Claims Advice reports.

Data gathered by the fraud advice service - separate from the police-run Action Fraud - indicates that nearly 40,000 crime reports were submitted between January 2020 and December 2024.

Action Fraud heard from two Manx residents who had been stung by a dating scam in 2020. That was followed by four reports in 2021, three in 2022, and another two in 2023. There were a further five calls to the reporting service last year.

Victim Support is an independent charity that offers specialist help for victims of crime, including fraud, in England and Wales.

Lisa Mills, senior fraud manager at Victim Support, 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.

‘Sadly, there is so much shame and stigma around romance fraud, with many victims too embarrassed to open up to their friends or family about what has happened, leaving them even more isolated.’

On average, scam victims lose over £10,000 with the financial damage caused by romance fraud across the British Isles is estimated to be a massive £409,749,344.

While a victim was more likely to be middle-aged, every age group was represented in the figures, including one victim understood to be at least 100 years old and 53 children.

Victims of crime in the Isle of Man are encouraged to contact Victim Support Isle of Man on 01624 679950 or via www.victimsupport.im