A crazy little thing called love!

A new internet scam is wrecking your chance of love online; Kieran Watkins looks more into the problems facing online dating sites (article written for The University of Kent Centre for Journalism)

Depressed, lonely and empty; just some of the feelings many single people will be feeling this Valentines. As we cry into our pillows, devour our way through the chocolate aisle of Asda and contemplate reaching for a kitchen knife, one simple solution to our desolate lifestyles is just a few clicks away.

Yes, internet dating. In the last ten years the virtual Blind Date has become so popular that it is believed to generate up to £2billion to the global economy. With one in five relationships being formed online, sites such as match.com and eharmony.co.uk have proved popular for single Brits as we search for the perfect guy or girl to fall in love with.

But behind your loved-up computer screen lies a growing international problem, one which threatens to ruin any romance you thought you might have, and take your money and possessions with it.

The rise of online scammers on internet dating sites has sparked fresh concerns about the dangers of using internet chat rooms online, as more people become victims to online scammers.

“I’ve lost everything”, says Amy Champion, 33, from Winchester, Hampshire. She lost all her money when she was targeted by a scammer through a dating site.

“He, if it was ever a he, posed as a businessman living in London. His photo was of a dark, handsome man in a suit. I guess you could say it was love at first sight.

“We hit it off instantly, and chatted all the time. We messaged privately and on Facebook, he never gave me his number.

“After a few weeks, we arranged to meet up, but he said he had no money at the moment because he had just invested in a new business.

“Despite only knowing him for a short while, I felt like I could trust him, so sent my bank details over to him so that he could book a train ticket to visit me.”

For Amy, it was the last time she heard from Michael, 42, who described himself as ‘a relaxed, funny guy looking to start a relationship.’ But although Amy failed to hear from Mark, he left a lasting memory that will haunt her life forever.

“He took my bank details and transferred all my money over to his account. Everything was gone. I went from being madly in love to broken-hearted and penniless.”

Amy’s story is not uncommon. Research by Leicester University in 2012 estimated that 230,000 Britons had been targeted by conmen, who target vulnerable adults in to giving them their bank details.

The conmen are usually based overseas, and start by targeting their victim by posing as an innocent single man or woman, usually using an alias formed around a picture of somebody else and taken from a social-networking site.

They then start talking to victims, usually through private messaging services, forming a relationship with the online dater over several weeks before flying over to meet the loved one. At this point, they then make up a story about being denied a visa, requesting that money and the person’s bank details be sent over so they can finally meet.

But you never do meet each other. In fact, whilst you queue up at arrivals in Heathrow, the potential love of your life is splashing your cash at your expense.

And it’s an expensive game. More than £37 billion is estimated to have been stolen by online scammers in the UK alone, and with police unable to prevent or track down the scammers, the problem is one which is deteriorating rapidly.

“Scammers come in droves, and they’re very aggressive”, explains internet consultant Mark Brooks, from Online Personals Watch.

“I would strongly advise talking to someone on the phone before meeting them.”

One woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, lost £50,000 to £60,000 after sending her personal bank details to her lover, whom she had been in contact with for more than a year.

But despite losing the money, she says that she “forgives him” for what he has done.

“I’ve formed a relationship with him, even if it is online. I love him and I can’t wait to finally meet him one day.”

In the majority of cases, police and the dating websites are unable to locate the villains behind the crime, meaning many of the victims are without justice as well as no money.

Despite the concerns, the Office of National Statistics has recently added online dating to its basket of goods and services to calculate UK inflation rates.

But some councils in England remain unconvinced about the benefits of online dating, and have taken it on themselves to warn the public about being misled online.

Medway Council has launched a new campaign to coincide with Valentines’ Day, to help raise awareness about the growing problem with online scammers.

The council’s Trading Standards team have provided a set of guidelines for members of the public to read and follow when setting up their own profiles online, which include warnings to never give out personal details and be suspicious of a request for financial help.

Councillor Mike O’Brien, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Customer Contact said: “Locally we have probably a minimum of a dozen reports a year from people who have been conned via dating agencies.

“These range from bogus dating agencies who promise ‘matches’ and then disappear without any introductions with the memberships fees to the extreme detailed in the press release of people handing over thousands of pounds to bogus people who they believe they are in love with.

“It really is pernicious and as usual exploits people at their weakest point, in this case emotionally.”

So as you mop up your tears and watch yet another Richard Curtis film this Valentines, think to yourself; maybe it is better to be single, because signing yourself up to an online dating site could ruin your life forever.

Medway Council’s Trading Standards teams’ six steps to staying safe:

1. Only use well-known, reputable online dating agencies
2. Always be sceptical and if you are asked for any type of financial help be extremely suspicious
3. Be careful when going on a date and always try and meet someone who lives locally
4. Never give out any personal details
5. Be extra careful of anyone using PO Box addresses or telephone numbers that are never answered
6. If your online date only ever talks about themselves and never actually answers your questions it could be because they are only sending a standard email to hundreds of other people

Medway braces itself for ice and snow

Gritting lorries and snowploughs are at the ready as Medway braces itself for snow and ice.

With temperatures falling into the minuses and snow falling across other parts of the country, Medway Council have reassured residents that they are fully prepared for an outbreak of snow.

More than 5,000 tonnes of salt has been stockpiled for the Medway area, with 388 salt bins fully stocked on streets and roads.

Eight gritting lorries will be safeguarding the major roads across Medway following news from the Met Office that “heavy snow showers” could hit the South East this weekend.

Councillor Phil Filmer, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Front Line Services, said: “The forecasts for snow over the weekend may be uncertain, but there is the potential for wintry showers over the weekend and into next week.

“Medway Council are fully prepared and our teams will be working hard to salt all primary and secondary routes across the area and minimise any potential disruption to residents,” he added.

University students have been advised to check the universities snow procedure in the outbreak of snow.

With many students returning to university this Monday (January 14), both the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University have stressed that caretakers will clear pathways and grit paths in order to keep the university open.

The University of Kent said that “in adverse weather conditions, the university will not normally close”, whilst Canterbury Christ Church said that they “will strive to keep the primary on site pathways and roads clear of snow / ice in inclement weather.”

Students and residents are advised to check before going to work or university.

For Medway Council news on Snow and Ice, visit: www.medway.gov.uk
For the University of Kent, visit:http://www.kent.ac.uk/campusonline/campusnews.html?id=snow-and-ice-procedure.txt
For Canterbury Christ Church visit: http://www.canterbury.ac.uk/support/facilities-services/estates-infrastructure/winter-gritting.asp

Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia

New train station planned for Rochester

A new station for residents in Rochester could help improve train services.

Network Rail plans to move the current station to a new site to allow more passengers to use the station, and allow for a more reliable, quicker service.

The current station, just off Rochester High Street, has few car parking spaces and platforms that can only accommodate 10-carriage trains.

With regeneration on Rochester Riverside already underway, passenger numbers are expected to rise by 30% over the next few years, meaning the current station will be inadequate to support the growing population.

Addressing these figures, Network Rail have proposed to move the current station to Corporation Road Car Park as part of a £25million investment in rail infrastructure.

With more car parking spaces and longer platforms accommodating for 12-carriage and more passengers, it is hoped the plan will prove a hit with the local council and local people.

Councillor Rodney Chambers, Medway Council Leader and Regeneration Lead, said: “If this proposal gets the go ahead it will lead to a new, better train station for Rochester

“It will result in a quicker, more reliable service with more space for passengers,” he added.

The station would be closer to the main town centre then the current station, with a new subway planned to link the station to the shopping parade. Train users would also benefit from being closer to the main bus routes running through the town.

If approved, the station would take up 1/3 of the land on Corporation Road, and would be scheduled to open in 2015.

It is believed Network Rail will submit a planning application for the proposals later this year.

Picture courtesy of Wikipedia

Design plans unveiled for Thames Estuary Airport

Designs for the estimated £50Billion airport in the Thames Estuary have been unveiled.

The plans for what has been dubbed the ‘world’s biggest airport’ show how the project, which plans to serve over 150million passengers a year, will be built on waste land on the Isle of Grain in Kent.

Lord Norman Foster, the architect who created the new Wembley Stadium, is behind the plans for the new airport, which includes four runways, terminal buildings and high-speed rail connections to London and the rest of the UK.

Talking of the benefits of the plans, Lord Foster said that it would “lay the foundations for the future prosperity of Britain.”

Architectural critic Edwin Heathcoate said that the plans would be a “complete re-imagining of the UK’s transport infrastructure.”

“It’s a vision of the kind of integration in transport and utilities that has not been considered since the great age of canals and then of railways.”

The plans for a new airport, first unveiled two years ago by the Thames Estuary Airport Feasibility Review, will serve to overcome the current problems surrounding London’s Aviation industry.

Experts estimate that by 2030, Heathrow – currently the UK’s biggest and busiest airport – will reach maximum capacity, and with other London airports restricted on growth, a sustainable resolution to the problems is needed.

However, critics of the plans, including Medway council and environmental charities including the RSPB – who say the plans will threaten thousands of bird species – are against the plans.

Leader of Medway Council, Rodney Chambers, said the plan were “quite possibly the daftest in a long list of pie-in-the-sky schemes that have been put forward for an airport.”

An RSPB spokesperson said: “We oppose this airport proposal because the massive environmental impact is unjustified.”

Picture courtesy of Wikipedia


*a piece from my University of Kent portfolio

Mc Donalds to create 80 jobs in Kent

Fast food restaurant McDonalds has announced plans to create 80 positions in Kent.

The company, which runs over 1,200 outlets in Britain and Ireland, is set to create 2,500 new posts throughout the UK.

30% of the jobs are expected to go to first time workers, with over 50% of positions being created for workers under the age of 25, although it is unknown which areas in Kent will benefit.

Press Officer for Mc Donalds, Kate McGown, said: “We can’t give a projection at this stage. Due to planning regulations, it is unknown where new restaurants will be. We are constantly on the search for new areas and opportunities.”

Stuart Todd, from Job Centre Plus, said: “Increases in any new jobs is a good thing, providing confidence for the wider UK economy.”

The news comes after McDonalds applied to Medway Council for planning permission to extend the Medway Valley Park branch of Mc Donalds, in Gillingham.

Picture courtesy of Wikipedia

*article was written as part of my reporting & writing portfolio at the University of Kent