Romance scam reports at Lloyds surge by a quarter as Gen Z victims spike by 59% in a year

From the Newshound archive · first published 25 September 2026 · last updated 26 September 2026.

Lloyds Banking Group recorded a 24% year-on-year rise in romance scam reports, with the steepest increase among 18-to-24-year-olds, who filed 59% more cases than the year before. Younger victims most commonly came across fraudsters through dating apps and social media, while those over 50 tended to be approached through traditional dating websites. Despite this surge among younger age groups, victims aged 75 to 84 lost the most on average, at £9,051 each.

Over-65s accounted for 55% of the total money lost to romance scams over the most recent 12-month period.

Liz Ziegler, Lloyds fraud prevention director, warned that 'being digitally savvy does not make someone immune to fraud'.

The average loss across all victims dropped 20% to £4,078, though the overall financial toll remains significant.