Young Brits are ditching AI-riddled dating apps for real life
Young Brits are increasingly ditching AI-riddled dating apps in favour of real-life encounters, new data from Barclays shows.
The banking group’s latest data shows a clear shift among younger daters, driven by the growing threat of AI-powered fraud that makes online romance feel increasingly risky and unreliable.
A romance scam takes place when someone pretends to be interested in a romantic relationship in the hopes of gaining their target’s trust, then asks for money or personal details.
In the 2024/25 financial year, there were 9,449 reports of romance fraud in the UK, costing victims over £106 million, according to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, and most of these cases started on social media.
Barclays customer data shows that in 2025, 67% of reported romance scams originated on dating and social media platforms. One in five UK adults (18%) say they have either been targeted by a romance scam, or know someone who has, and, from those who were targeted, 40% of them lost money.
AI is supercharging the problem
Scammers now use voice cloning, deepfake images, and convincing fake videos to impersonate attractive matches, build emotional trust over months, and eventually request money for fabricated emergencies.
66% of UK adults believe AI makes romance scams more convincing, while 78% say it makes scams harder to spot overall. More than half express specific worries about voice or image impersonation.
56% of Gen Z singles are now prioritising meeting potential partners in person rather than through apps, a notable jump from the 42% average across all generations.
Nearly half (48%) of Gen Z say AI scam concerns have directly changed how they approach online dating, almost double the national average of 25%. Overall, 39% of those seeking love report feeling more reluctant to date online because of AI advancements.
Consumers’ confidence in their own ability to spot a scam is limited; 44% are not confident they could spot the use of voice cloning technology, 42% say the same about fake images, and 41% about fake videos.
Over half of consumers also say they are concerned about scammers using their voice or image to impersonate them, rising to 62% for Gen Z.
