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Authorities are urging those looking for
on the Internet to be
. There was a 20 per cent spike in online romance fraud last year. The organisation UK Finance reported that cyber fraud increased
and coincided with a
in the number of people looking for a partner
. This has been exacerbated by feelings of loneliness and
during the coronavirus pandemic. There was a sharp
in the number of scams related to dating
and around Valentine's Day. UK Finance said: "Romance scams can leave
out of love and out of pocket." It warned: "Romance scammers can be very convincing by forming an emotional attachment with their
."
