New figures obtained by Romance Scams Advice shows an increase in reported cases in the county over the past three years. In total, 170 romance fraud cases were recorded in Cumbria during the three-year period, marking a 25 per cent increase. Cumbria Police confirmed that residents lost more than £630,000 to dating scams last year. In the year up to October 1, 2025, there were 74 reports of dating or romance scams across Cumbria, with total reported losses exceeding £630,000. But it is really important to remember that romance fraud is never the fault of the victim.

Source: The Times January 18, 2026 05:03 UTC