Dozens of romance scammers arrested after specialist fraud squad investigation
Dozens of romance scammers have been arrested following a significant investigation by financial crime units in the UK and Nigeria. The operation, known as Operation Seraphim, has led to 31 arrests and the seizure of valuable items, including cash and luxury watches. Victims like Kirsty Guest have lost substantial amounts of money, highlighting the emotional and financial toll of these scams.
- ▪A total of 31 arrests have been made in Europe and Africa as part of Operation Seraphim.
- ▪Police seized two Rolex watches and £3,000 in cash during the raids.
- ▪Victims of romance fraud, such as Kirsty Guest, have lost significant amounts of money, with Guest losing £80,000.
- ▪The Cyber Defence Alliance, funded by major banks, has been working for nearly a decade to combat financial fraud.
- ▪Investigators are targeting organized networks of fraudsters who share scamming techniques online.
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| Original publisher | BBC News — UK |
| Canonical URL | https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgjpnw8dg88o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss |
| Publication time | Tue, 19 May 2026 23:56:01 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-20T00:29:58.786Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-20T00:29:58.786Z |
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Dozens of romance scammers arrested after specialist fraud squad investigation33 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleTom SymondsNews correspondentBBCKirsty Guest was conned out of £80,000Dozens of suspected scammers and romance fraudsters have been arrested after specialist financial investigators uncovered organised networks of criminals operating across the UK and Nigeria.In just one of a series of raids this month, police detained a man suspected of selling personal banking information online and enabling fraud through money laundering.
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