More than 30 suspected fraudsters and romance scammers have been arrested as part of an international operation targeting organised criminal networks operating across the UK and Nigeria.Police said 31 arrests were carried out across Europe and Africa under Operation Seraphim, an investigation involving the City of London Police, the National Crime Agency, Nigerian authorities, and specialist financial investigators from the Cyber Defence Alliance (CDA).The operation targeted suspects linked to romance fraud, money laundering, and online financial scams that investigators said had caused major losses to victims across Britain.According to the BBC, one suspect arrested during raids in the Midlands was allegedly involved in selling personal banking information online and enabling fraud through money laundering. Officers seized two Rolex watches and around £3,000 in cash from the property.Investigators said many of the suspects were believed to be involved in romance scams, where fraudsters spend months building emotional relationships with victims before persuading them to transfer money.One victim, North Yorkshire florist Kirsty Guest, said she lost more than £80,000 after being targeted by a man she met on a dating app who identified himself as “Patrick”.The guest said the man spent months gaining her trust before claiming he had been injured during a business trip abroad and needed financial help.She later transferred money into several bank accounts linked to the alleged scam network.The Cyber Defence Alliance, funded by 21 major banks, works with police and intelligence agencies to identify organised fraud groups through banking data, online activity, and social media monitoring.Craig Rice, head of the CDA, said romance fraudsters were “ruining lives and creating misery”.He said investigators focused on dismantling wider criminal networks involved in creating fake banking websites, laundering money, and sharing scam techniques online.Detective Inspector Joel Gregory from the City of London Police said the operation demonstrated the importance of cooperation between banks, police, and international law enforcement agencies.He said the scale of online fraud meant “no single organisation can tackle it alone” and warned offenders that authorities were actively monitoring criminal activity online.Police said investigations linked to Operation Seraphim remain ongoing.
