RESIDENTS in Oxfordshire and across Thames Valley have been warned of an internet scammer preying on those looking for love.

In a neighbourhood alert sent to those signed up to the emails, Action Fraud explained how it had spotted repeat techniques used by dating fraudsters.

A dating fraudster, like a 'catfish', uses a fake profile to lure people into a relationship.

The criminal uses the dating site to gain trust, and then asks for money, or enough personal questions to steal the identity.

One dating fraudster, who was not named, explained to Action Fraud how they would create fake accounts on social media under the same name, so that they could be searched for.

They said: “I make sure all my conversations are bespoke. I will show insecurities about myself so this helps allude to them that I am genuine. I also use various online directories to find out about the person. Once I have enough, I use it to milk everything I can using their details or sell them onto other fraudsters via the dark web.”

Action Fraud said to use the built-in messaging service on a dating app, explaining that some scammers like to quickly switch to text so there is no evidence of the crime.

It also wrote how if there is any doubt the person is a scammer, you should ask them for a specific picture, like waving or with their thumbs up – this makes it difficult to use fake pictures.

It also said to not share too much information online and ignore any requests for cash.