NORTH Yorkshire residents lost more than £500,000 to romance fraudsters last year - and police have issued advice on how to avoid them.

Netflix’s latest docu-film, The Tinder Swindler, charts the ways in which a man portrayed himself as a billionaire diamond heir in order to con women out of hundreds of thousands of pounds.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police described similar fraudsters as "cunning, manipulative and often highly sophisticated."

"They tap into our innate human desire to be loved and prey on goodwill and trust. Online dating sites and apps give them free rein to target multiple victims at the same time," they added.

North Yorkshire Police have issued tips on how to spot a romance fraudsters, including checking if their photos are genuine, organising a video call, doing as much research on the person as possible, trusting your instincts about the person and asking a lot of questions to get as much information about the person as possible.

It's also important to remember that if they ask for money, this should ring alarm bells - and always tell at least two people if you are meeting up with them. Also, always be suspicious of anyone showing or claiming to lead a highly luxurious lifestyle.