People have been warned to be careful about ‘catfishing’ romance fraud in the run-up to Valentine’s Day.

Advice Direct Scotland, which runs the national consumer advice service consumeradvice.scot, has launched a new campaign highlighting the tactics used by scammers to exploit situations of loneliness or isolation of their targets.

Criminals regularly use some form of ‘catfishing’, the act of luring someone into a relationship by creating a fictional persona or fake identity online.

The charity warned people to avoid revealing too many personal details early into a conversation online and stressed that they should never give out their bank details.

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Lyndsay McFee, project lead at consumeradvice.scot, said: “With all of us spending longer online it is more important than ever to be aware of the tactics employed by scammers who exploit situations of isolation and loneliness for personal gain.

“Criminals continually look for ways to take advantage of people, using romantic feelings to abuse their trust and trick them into parting with their money or personal information.

“The use of ‘catfishing’ tactics can have an emotional as well as financial impact on people.

“We also know scammers are trying to exploit Scottish consumers, hit by the cost-of-living crisis, with fake cryptocurrency and investment offers.

“Throughout the campaign, we are encouraging people to avoid being scammed by ‘catfish’ and other online fraudsters.

“It’s important to remember there is no shame in being scammed, and consumers who are worried or need help can contact one of our specialist advisers for free, impartial and practical advice.”