Fraud - Romance Fraud - Catfishing

Response to this request is long overdue. By law, under all circumstances, North Wales Police should have responded by now (details). You can complain by requesting an internal review.

Dear North Wales Police,

I am collating statistics from all 43 police forces in England and Wales regarding the surge in
‘Romance Fraud’, that is, fraud committed by targeting and preying on vulnerable women. Please the below BBC article for reference. On many occasions fraud is committed under the Fraud Act 2006 where the perpetrator obtains a gain and the victim a loss.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-4863...

Additionally, perpetrators create and utilise fake accounts on certain dating sites and begin intimate relationships with their targets where no notifiable crime is committed under NCRS.

Using your search filters, could you please provide the following information under the FOIA?

Number of notifiable crimes under heading, including any reports of rape subject to a crime report for:

2014 - 15 / 2015 - 16 / 2016 - 17 / 2017 - 18 / 2018 - 2019

Number of non crime incidents, including rape for:

2014 - 15 / 2015 - 16 / 2016 - 17 / 2017 - 18 / 2018 - 2019

Yours faithfully,

Scott Winters.

Freedom of Information Team, North Wales Police

2 Attachments

Dear Scott Winters,

Enquiry Ref: 2019/881

I acknowledge receipt of your Freedom of Information request.

 

As set out by the Freedom of Information Act, it will be our aim to
respond to your request by  20/09/2019.

If you have any questions regarding your request, please contact me.

Yours sincerely,

 

P.P. Jeff Cody

Swyddog Hawliau Gwybodaeth/Information Rights Officer

Safonau Gwybodaeth a Chydymffurfio/ Information Standards & Compliance

Chyllid a Adnoddau/Finance & Resources

Ffôn /Phone 01492 805352

Est/ Ext 05352

E.bost/ E.mail [1][email address]

 

[2]cid:image002.jpg@01D4D9AE.42746C10[3]cid:image003.jpg@01D4D9AE.42746C10 

 

Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn y Gymraeg a’r Saesneg – byddwn yn ymateb
yn gyfartal i’r ddau ac yn ateb yn eich dewis iaith heb oedi. 

We welcome correspondence in Welsh and English – we will respond equally
to both and will reply in your language of choice without delay.

 

 

Please note: we will process your personal data (i.e. your name, address,
email address, your request etc.) to record and respond to your freedom of
information request/s and provide cross-government advice, support and
co-ordination in responding to freedom of information requests. This data
will be held for two years, plus the current year.

[4]https://www.north-wales.police.uk/access...

 

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
4. https://www.north-wales.police.uk/access...

Freedom of Information Team, North Wales Police

2 Attachments

Dear Scott Winters, 

 

Enquiry Ref: 2019/881

I acknowledge receipt of your email received on 22/08/2019 requesting the
following information;

 

 Dear North Wales Police,

 

I am collating statistics from all 43 police forces in England and Wales
regarding the surge in ‘Romance Fraud’, that is, fraud committed by
targeting and preying on vulnerable women. Please the below BBC article
for reference. On many occasions fraud is committed under the Fraud Act
2006 where the perpetrator obtains a gain and the victim a loss.

 

[1]https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-4863...

 

Additionally, perpetrators create and utilise fake accounts on certain
dating sites and begin intimate relationships with their targets where no
notifiable crime is committed under NCRS.

 

Using your search filters, could you please provide the following
information under the FOIA?

 

Number of notifiable crimes under heading, including any reports of rape
subject to a crime report for:

 

2014 - 15 / 2015 - 16 / 2016 - 17 / 2017 - 18 / 2018 - 2019

 

Number of non crime incidents, including rape for:

 

2014 - 15 / 2015 - 16 / 2016 - 17 / 2017 - 18 / 2018 - 2019

 

 

 

To ensure the information you seek is clearly identifiable, please can you
define which specific dating sites to you wish us to search?

Also the term ‘Romance Fraud’ is not a term used to log occurrences-
therefore, please can you specify key words for the incidences you require
under the topic of ‘Romance Fraud’?

 

Two previous FOI requests last year (2018/744 & 2018/1027) relating to
‘catfishing’ produced nil results from our search system.

 

[2]https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-4863... (This link now states ‘Page
not found’)

 

 

To enable us to respond to your request please provide the details
requested above or alternatively indicate how we may otherwise assist you.

 

Unfortunately we are unable to research your request until we have
received this information and the clock will be stopped pending receipt of
your response.
If you would like to discuss this matter please do not hesitate to contact
me.

Yours sincerely,

 

 

P.P. Jeff Cody

Swyddog Hawliau Gwybodaeth/Information Rights Officer

Safonau Gwybodaeth a Chydymffurfio/ Information Standards & Compliance

Chyllid a Adnoddau/Finance & Resources

Ffôn /Phone 01492 805352

Est/ Ext 05352

E.bost/ E.mail [3][email address]

 

[4]cid:image002.jpg@01D4D9AE.42746C10[5]cid:image003.jpg@01D4D9AE.42746C10 

 

Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn y Gymraeg a’r Saesneg – byddwn yn ymateb
yn gyfartal i’r ddau ac yn ateb yn eich dewis iaith heb oedi. 

We welcome correspondence in Welsh and English – we will respond equally
to both and will reply in your language of choice without delay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Visible links
1. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-4863
2. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-4863
3. mailto:[email address]