A former UK police officer has been sentenced to six years in jail for his role in a horse racing betting syndicate scam that defrauded thousands of people out of £44 million (€53 million/$59 million). The officer used the funds to support a lavish lifestyle. In a separate case, a man was jailed for five years after scamming a Medway woman out of more than £120,000 through a romance fraud. Additionally, a pensioner lost £3,500 to a scammer posing as a bank fraud prevention team member, and a single mother was defrauded of £18,000 by a dating app user who lured her into online trading. Another romance fraudster posed as an army officer and swindled a woman out of £128,500. These incidents highlight the growing issue of fraud and the severe impact it has on victims.