Support Fraud caseworkers have helped 149 vulnerable people who have been targeted by organised criminals since lockdown started on March 23. The most common fraud type they have encountered has been romance scams. This is when criminals create fake profiles online and form close relationships to steal money. A spokesman said: “Victim Support have said that in many cases, people can lose their entire life savings to these scams. “This was certainly true for 57-year-old Donna (whose name has been changed) from Rye whose physical disability puts her in the high-risk category and so she has spent a lot of time alone at home. “She was befriended by ‘Fred’ at this particularly lonely time, via a popular social media platform and he was quick to form a close relationship with her.” ‘Fred’ gained Donna’s trust and began requesting money. In total, he scammed Donna out of £10,500, leaving her in extreme financial difficulties and forced to rely on food bank vouchers just to get by during the crisis. Donna said: “Being a victim of a ‘romantic scam’ is a very tough thing to admit. You feel a fool because your head was telling you it was wrong, but you just wanted to be loved. “The police officer who came to see me, after I reported the scam, put me at ease assuring me that it was one of the most common scams and I wasn’t to feel stupid. “Then Emma from Victim Support came around. She did not just show up once and disappear, she even came with me to Citizens Advice Bureau about the debt I was now in. “During lockdown she has not left my side. She regularly gets in touch to check in on me, she has been amazing at helping me to get food bank support and has listened and supported me without judging. “Without this service from both agencies, I don’t like to think what might have happened.” Her fraud caseworker Emma Allen has been working on a debt management plan for Donna and arranged for the food bank parcels to be delivered to her house as she continues to self-isolate. Emma keeps regular contact with Donna and her other clients, worried that as the crisis continues they are at greater risk of future victimisation. She said: “Romance Fraud is very harmful as the scammers play on the victim’s emotions, which can have a detrimental effect on their general wellbeing and mental health. “Victims of any scam often feel that they have lost their confidence which can make them susceptible to repeat victimisation. This is why it is so important to tell someone that you think you have been scammed and to report it to seek the support of specialist agencies.” Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne introduced two fraud caseworkers in 2016 to supplement the work of Sussex Police. They offer further support to people like Donna.
