Two arrested after victims sent over £200,000 to a ‘fake celebrity lover’ via an Oxford Street gift shop. The probe continues.
Victims entered a back office in the shop. They left large sums of cash there believing the money went to a famous person. They thought they had a relationship with this celebrity. One person even gave over £60,000 in cash.
Police released the two people they arrested, but the investigation is still happening right now. Police also seized over £100,000. This money was in cryptocurrency form.
Action Fraud received reports from victims, which led to the police investigation. The London PECT team did the search. Detective Inspector Weller talked about economic crime. He said romance fraud is a terrible crime where people lose money and feel emotional pain.
Victims often don’t even report the crime. Romance fraud often links to organised crime. Weller urges people to be careful, to talk to people they trust for support, and to never send money, especially cash, to online strangers. Research cryptocurrency before investing.
The warrant was part of Operation Henhouse, a big campaign against fraud across the country. The National Crime Agency funded this operation. Valentine’s Day is a busy time for romance fraud.
In 2024, people lost over £99 million, as reported to Action Fraud. February saw the highest losses that year. That’s the whole story!