The Lions Barber Collective are one of the charities supporting UK’s Big Night, a community safety initiative launched by Dorset Police to combat romance fraud.
What is Romance Fraud?
Romance fraud is a form of domestic abuses where perpetrators employ tactics including coercion, control, and isolation to isolate the victim. This crime impacts victims both financially and mentally, affecting people of all genders and ages. Many victims feel gullible, naïve and lonely, which often prevents them from reporting the crime.
The Big Night In Campaign
This initiative aims to (bring romance fraud into the mainstream by discussion of romance fraud and providing community support. The campaign promotes group gatherings where people can learn to spot the signs of romance fraud whilst supporting one another. It utilises barbershops as safe spaces for customers to discuss the topic and access resources. Hair salons and home stylists are encouraged to host events with drinks and snacks to work through the educational materials together.
How Can I help? The Big Night In Pack
The resource pack contains practical tips on how to protect yourself from romance fraud, guidance on how to report criminals/perpetrators, plus two case studies for people to discuss and learn from. Due to it’s success in Dorset the campaign is launched nationally for the month of October. The campaign creates an accessible, community-based approach to fraud prevention, using familiar social settings to tackle a sensitive topic that often goes unreported due to shame and embarrassment.
You can download the pack here.
