- TSB bank has issued a warning about a "cruel" surge in online "friendship fraud" targeting older and vulnerable individuals.
- Criminals exploit victims' loneliness and desire for connection, often posing as people in need of financial aid or claiming illness.
- One case involved a customer in their late sixties making 60 payments over four years to a scammer posing as a young person.
- The average loss per impersonation fraud case, which includes friendship fraud, is over £3,100, with some victims losing significantly more.
- Experts advise caution when forming online friendships, especially if money is requested, and urge people to report suspected scams to their bank and authorities.
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