There have been a number of headlines trending throughout 2025 so far. Tariffs, trade wars, geopolitical tensions... and romance scams.

Fake online relationships – better known as catfishes – have existed as long as social media has been around.

But the increasing prevalence of AI is making it trickier to tell fact from fiction.

One woman in France was conned out of 800,000 Euros after believing she was in a relationship with Oscar winner Brad Pitt, while closer to home, US-based Kiwi actor Martin Henderson has seen his face used as a front for these scams.

So how common are these elaborate scams, and what protections can be put in place to better protect vulnerable people?

Today on The Front Page, National Cyber Security Centre Threat and Incident Response team lead Tom Roberts is with to discuss what can be done to break up with these scammers.

Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

Host: Chelsea Daniels
Sound Engineer/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills

There have been a number of headlines trending throughout 2025 so far. Tariffs, trade wars, geopolitical tensions... and romance scams.
Fake online relationships &ndash; better known as catfishes &ndash; have existed as long as social media has been around.
But the increasing prevalence of AI is making it trickier to tell fact from fiction.
One woman in France was conned out of 800,000 Euros after believing she was in a relationship with Oscar winner Brad Pitt, while closer to home, US-based Kiwi actor Martin Henderson has seen his face used as a front for these scams.
So how common are these elaborate scams, and what protections can be put in place to better protect vulnerable people?
Today on The Front Page, National Cyber Security Centre Threat and Incident Response team lead Tom Roberts is with to discuss what can be done to break up with these scammers.
Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.
Host: Chelsea Daniels Sound Engineer/Producer: Richard Martin Producer: Ethan Sills

Go beyond the headlines with The Front Page, the New Zealand Herald’s daily news podcast. Each weekday Chelsea Daniels unpacks the stories shaping Aotearoa, from what’s happening in our own backyard to global events shaping our future.

Every episode we speak to leaders, experts, reporters, and those living the story, so you get the full picture. 

Subscribe now so you never miss an episode.

Go beyond the headlines with The Front Page, the New Zealand Herald&rsquo;s daily news podcast. Each weekday Chelsea Daniels unpacks the stories shaping Aotearoa, from what&rsquo;s happening in our own backyard to global events shaping our future.
Every episode we speak to leaders, experts, reporters, and those living the story, so you get the full picture.&nbsp;
Subscribe now so you never miss an episode.

Every day, The Front Page takes you behind the scenes of the biggest story from the New Zealand Herald. Hosted by Damien Venuto

The Front Page

Go beyond the headlines with The Front Page, the New Zealand Herald’s daily news analysis podcast. Each weekday Chelsea Daniels unpacks the stories shaping Aotearoa, from what’s happening in our own backyard to global events shaping our future. Every episode we speak to leaders, experts, reporters, and those living the story, so you get the full picture. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode.

Go beyond the headlines with The Front Page, the New Zealand Herald&rsquo;s daily news analysis podcast. Each weekday Chelsea Daniels unpacks the stories shaping Aotearoa, from what&rsquo;s happening in our own backyard to global events shaping our future. Every episode we speak to leaders, experts, reporters, and those living the story, so you get the full picture. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode.

The hidden cost of online dating scams in New Zealand

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/93db35f3-0695-4420-a011-b2a60019ff3c/transcript