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Mate crime is a form of crime in which a perpetrator befriends a vulnerable person with the intention of then exploiting the person financially, physically or sexually. "Mate" crime perpetrators take advantage of the isolation and vulnerability of their victim to win their confidence. Research has highlighted common factors in mate crime and hate crime.
In publicity regarding mate crime, Trafford Clinical Commissioning Group states:
Many vulnerable adults have few friends, and for some vulnerable people, having any friends is better than no friends at all. Mate crime centres around issues of self-belief and self-worth in the vulnerable person. Vulnerable people will often think it's all right for people to walk all over , because that's what's happened to them the whole of their lives.
Victims of mate crime may be enticed into committing criminal acts themselves and taking the blame so as to protect the real perpetrator, although the vulnerable person may lack the mental capacity themselves to be treated as a criminal. The National Autistic Society has noted that "Many people with autism desperately want to have friends, but may struggle to know the best ways of starting and maintaining friendships" and are therefore at risk of mate crime abuse.