UK Romance Fraud Losses Hit £102M as Reports Surge
City of London Police said romance fraudsters stole £102 million from UK victims in 2025 across 10,784 reports filed through the Report Fraud service, a 29 percent increase year over year. Average losses were about £9,500 per victim, with some cases reaching £1 million, as offenders built emotional trust over time before requesting money for fabricated travel, medical, or other urgent expenses.
Older adults were hit hardest financially, with nearly half of total losses borne by people aged 55 to 74. Men submitted the highest number of reports, while women suffered the greatest monetary losses. Authorities warned that romance fraud causes both financial and emotional harm and noted that, while the crime remains smaller in the UK than categories such as banking, investment, and online shopping fraud, comparable losses in the United States were far higher, with the FBI IC3 estimating $929.4 million lost to romance scams in 2025.
Timeline
May 6, 2026
ShinyHunters sets May 6 deadline for Cushman & Wakefield contact
ShinyHunters set a May 6 deadline for Cushman & Wakefield to make contact in order to prevent publication of the allegedly stolen data. The ultimatum followed the group's claim that it had exfiltrated more than 500,000 Salesforce records.
May 5, 2026
City of London Police publishes 2025 romance fraud figures
City of London Police publicly reported that romance fraud cost UK victims £102 million in 2025 and highlighted the emotional and financial harm caused by offenders who build trust before requesting money. The announcement also noted average losses of about £9,500 per victim, with some cases reaching £1 million.
May 5, 2026
Cushman & Wakefield confirms vishing-related security incident
Cushman & Wakefield confirmed a limited data security incident caused by vishing and said it had activated incident response protocols, contained unauthorized activity, and engaged third-party experts. The company said systems and operations continued to run normally while the investigation proceeded.
May 4, 2026
Qilin lists Cushman & Wakefield on its leak site
The Qilin ransomware group added Cushman & Wakefield to its leak site on May 4, claiming responsibility for an attack but not describing its intrusion method. Reporting noted there was no known link proving coordination with ShinyHunters.
May 1, 2026
ShinyHunters claims attack on Cushman & Wakefield
ShinyHunters told The Register it attacked Cushman & Wakefield on May 1 and claimed to have stolen more than 500,000 Salesforce records containing personally identifiable information and internal corporate data. The claim was presented as part of a broader campaign linked to Salesforce-focused intrusions.
Dec 31, 2025
UK romance fraud losses reach £102 million in 2025
City of London Police said romance fraudsters stole £102 million from UK victims during 2025, based on 10,784 reports submitted through the Report Fraud service. The force said reports were up 29 percent year over year, with older victims disproportionately affected.
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