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FCA Publishes Findings on Banks’ Response to Romance Fraud

27 October 2025

FCA Publishes Findings on Banks’ Response to Romance Fraud

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published findings from its review of banks’ and payment firms’ handling of romance fraud. 

 

The report reveals both strong interventions and overlooked opportunities to prevent £106 million in losses during 2024. 

Key insights include: 

➡️ Scale of the Issue: Victims lost £106m in the past year and 85% of cases began online - primarily through social media and dating platforms; 

➡️ Missed Red Flags: Firms frequently failed to identify suspicious transactions or probe customer explanations, with 42% of victims concealing the true payment reason when asked; 

➡️ Monitoring & Training Gaps: Some monitoring systems were poorly calibrated, and staff training to spot behavioural red flags was inconsistent across firms;  

➡️ Leadership Implications: Banks risk reputational and regulatory fallout if systems or training fall short, but those combining strong monitoring with compassionate engagement will stand out for customer-centric fraud prevention. 

️➡️ FCA Recommendations: Enhanced monitoring, stronger staff training, early identification of vulnerable customers, and compassionate aftercare to rebuild trust post-fraud. 

✅ Firms should review their fraud detection systems, enhancing staff training and strengthening monitoring where required to identify patterns of emotional manipulation and unusual payment activity.