A 64-year-old Scots woman has been arrested and charged in connection with romance fraud after duping a woman out of a six-figure sum of money.
The incident took place in Banchory in Aberdeenshire and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
The fraudster currently lives in England and is expected to appear at court at a later date, according to Police Scotland.
Detective Inspector Martyn Thomson of the Divisional Cyber Enabled Crime Team in the North East Division said: “ Organised crime groups go to great lengths to manipulate and exploit the most vulnerable within our communities by means of gaining a person’s affection, and thereafter use that goodwill to encourage the victim to send money to the scammer under false pretences, with a view to them benefiting financially.
“It's very easy to fall victim to romance fraud, with people understandably reluctant to come forward and report it. However, I would strongly urge that if you are a victim that you report the matter to police.
“My message to the scammers is clear, if you engage in this type of crime we will identify, trace and arrest you."
The North East Division of Police Scotland recently implemented the specialist Divisional Cyber Enabled Crime Team to deal with occurrences of this nature.
Those who suspect they may have been victims of fraud are asked to contact police on 101.
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