Romance fraud is a crime in which an individual is deceived for financial gain by someone they believe to be a romantic partner. Despite its reach and impact on victims, this form of wrongdoing remains markedly underreported, limiting the data available for developing effective prevention strategies. The present study investigates whether the release of television portrayals of romance fraud is associated with changes in the number of officially reported cases in the United Kingdom, spanning the period from 2014 to 2024. By focusing on the timing of media portrayals relative to case counts, the analysis treats television content as a potential factor that could influence reporting behavior and overall awareness of this crime. The aim is to shed light on possible pathways through which media exposure might translate into higher reporting rates and, in turn, enhance prevention efforts. Results reveal a statistically significant positive relationship between the airing of TV portrayals and the monthly number of reported romance fraud cases. The strength of this association, however, diminishes over time after each release. The findings suggest that television portrayals can raise public awareness of romance fraud, shape attitudes that encourage reporting, and trigger a temporary increase in reported cases. In essence, exposure to such media content appears to prompt more reports in the short term, but the influence fades in the months following a new series or episode. These patterns imply that media platforms may play a constructive role in informing the public about sensitive crimes and in supporting reporting behaviors that feed prevention efforts. Yet the transient nature of the effect underscores the challenge of sustaining higher reporting rates beyond the immediate