130: Saving with Steve with Steve Sexton and guest Reinhard Hochrieser130: Saving with Steve with Steve Sexton and guest Reinhard Hochrieser
UK Health Radio Podcast
Steve Sexton talks with security expert Reinhard Hochrieser about how professional dating scams work, how AI and deepfakes fuel them, and what warning signs people can watch for. The conversation shares real scam stories and offers practical steps to choose safer platforms, spot fake profiles and report fraud without shame.
44:59•23 May 2026
Dating Scams, Deepfakes and Money Traps: How to Spot a Fake Romance
Episode Overview
- Scammers often invest weeks or months in building emotional trust before asking for money, making victims feel special and deeply connected.
- AI tools let fraudsters create realistic fake photos, whole fake lives and language-perfect chatbots that can manage many dating conversations at once.
- Red flags include too-perfect lifestyle photos, flawless scripted language, constant excuses to avoid meeting in person and resistance to spontaneous video actions.
- Reporting scams to the dating platform, police and banks is vital; collected evidence helps shut down wider fraud rings, even if money cannot be recovered.
- Using reputable, well‑known and often paid platforms with clear trust and safety measures greatly increases protection through strong identity verification systems.
“They are spending weeks or even months… building an emotional kind of connection, trust… and once that trust is established, they can start stealing money.”
What are the common struggles and victories in addiction recovery? One big one is learning to trust people again – and that includes trusting those you meet online. This conversation on UK Health Radio’s *Saving with Steve* looks at how romance and dating scams work, and why financially and emotionally vulnerable people can be such easy targets.
Host Steve Sexton talks with identity and security specialist Reinhard Hochrieser from Jumio, who shares how modern scammers run dating cons as a full-time, industrialised business. You’ll hear how fraudsters spend weeks or months “fattening up” a victim emotionally, then slowly shift the chat towards investments, crypto, or urgent money needs. One case Steve shares involves a woman who lost about $400,000 after being love‑bombed and convinced to move money from her retirement account.
Reinhard explains how artificial intelligence has supercharged these scams. Criminals can now create thousands of realistic fake photos, whole fake lives, and even AI agents that manage many conversations at once, mimicking your slang and emotional tone.
As he puts it, “They are spending weeks or even months… building an emotional kind of connection, trust… and once that trust is established, they can start… stealing money.” On the practical side, the chat breaks down simple ways to spot fake profiles: too‑perfect photos, flawless scripted language, and people who always avoid meeting in person or doing a quick, unscripted video action like moving a hand across their face.
They also stress the importance of reporting scams to the platform, the police, and your bank, and why embarrassment should never stop you from speaking up. Reinhard then lifts the curtain on how verification tools work behind the scenes on reputable dating, banking and gambling platforms, and why choosing trusted, paid‑for services can make you much harder to target.
If you or someone you care about is dating online while working on a healthier life, could a few simple checks save a fortune – and a broken heart?
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