National Celebration of Police Staff

As part of Police Staff Recognition Week, we speak to Rebecca Jones, who is a fraud safeguarding officer in the Economic Crime team (ECT)

A terminally ill pensioner, who lost £250,000 after falling victim to romance fraud, is just one of many people that Rebecca Jones has helped while working as a fraud safeguarding officer in Dyfed-Powys Police’s Economic Crime Team.

Rebecca is responsible for ensuring victims of fraud are safeguarded in particular those people deemed at risk of fraud/scams. It is her job to ensure they are educated and given advice on how to protect themselves. She also works alongside the banks to ensure finances are protected as well as trying to recuperate funds that are lost to fraud.

Rebecca said: “Sadly romance fraud is very common, Criminals build a relationship with people in a normal way and then manipulate them with the aim of gaining money or personal information out of them.

“This man I supported, thought that this was his one last chance of happiness. He was left with nothing. He lived a very lonely, simple, and isolated life and came to our attention as being a victim of romance fraud with a suspected loss of £250,000.

“When we first visited him, he had no idea that he was a victim of fraud. After extensive engagement, he finally begun to trust us, which can often be very hard as criminals can be very persuasive. He had lost a significant sum of money and was left with significant debts. As a result, had no money left to his name.”

The victim was left in a very difficult situation which required delicate handling and lengthy support by Rebecca, who has been in her role for six years.

She supported him for several months in order to regain his confidence and ensure adequate support was in place such as integrating him into the community, organising food bank referrals, assisting him in making a report to the bank and helping to address the concerns of loneliness.

“This was a very difficult case,” Rebecca said.

“It can often be very hard to break the link. Often victims of fraud are coerced by the criminal and it can be difficult to break the bond between a victim and the fraudster. This can often become very frustrating. However, with patience and time, the people I support often accept they have become a victim of fraud and will thank you for the intervention.

“The main reward of this role is being able to intervene and prevent people from any further financial loss. When you have assisted the victim in repatriating their funds lost to fraud, this feeling is a reward in itself.  Fraud leaves a lasting impact on victims, emotionally, mentally and sometimes physically. I always ensure that the person has all the support they require.”

As a result of her hard work and perseverance with fraud victims, Rebecca and the team has won the Welsh Local Government Association’ Safer Communities Awards 2023 - Safeguarding Category and was also shortlisted in Dyfed-Powys Police’s Safer Communities Awards in 2021.

She added: “No two days are ever the same and I don’t think I will ever get bored of helping victims of fraud. When I manage to assist a victim in redress, this is always a proud moment, regardless of the value.”

Know the signs of romance fraud:

Tips to protect yourself:

• Be cautious when sharing personal details with potential dates: revealing your full name, date of birth and home address could lead to your identity being stolen.
• Pick a reputable dating website and use the site’s messaging service. Fraudsters will try to convince you to quickly switch to social media or texting so there’s no evidence of them asking you for money.
• Never send or receive money or give away your bank details to someone you’ve only met online, no matter how much you trust them or believe their story.

Tips to protect a loved one:

• Ask questions about your loved one’s new relationship: does it sound like both people are sharing the same kind of information at a similar pace?
• Ask if you can see their profile: does it look genuine? Do they have multiple photographs that are clearly of the same person? Do the photos look too posed, or is the person clearly a model?
• Don’t be afraid to share your suspicions with police. You are looking out for your friend or family member and want to keep them safe. We can help.

Spotting the signs:

• You’ve struck up a relationship with someone online; they’re asking a lot of personal questions about you, but they're not interested in telling you much about themselves.
• Fraudsters often claim that they have high ranking roles or busy, important jobs that keep them away from home for long periods of time. This is to avoid suspicion as to why they can’t meet in person.
• They invent a reason to ask for your help, using the emotional attachment you’ve built with them. Your relationship with them may often depend on you sending money.
• Their pictures are too perfect – they may have been stolen from an actor or model. A reverse image search can find photos that have been taken from somewhere else. Ask a tech-savvy friend or relative to help if unsure.

It's important to remember that romance fraud is never the victim’s fault.

If you, or someone you know, is a victim of romance fraud, you can report it by clicking here

Or you can report anonymously via the Crimestoppers website or by calling 0800 555 111.