Love rat scammed widow out of £15,000
IT SOUNDS STUPID, SAYS JOAN, WHO WAS SWINDLED OUT OF CASH FOR ‘MEDICAL TREATMENT’ – AND NETFLIX
A WIDOW has lost nearly £15k worth of savings after being duped by scammers pretending to be a lover on a dating website.
Recovering cancer patient Joan Thornton, of Tameside, signed up to Match.com just before the UK lockdown to find friendship and company with someone sharing similar interests.
Soon after joining and paying the membership fees Joan was immediately messaged by a man claiming to be called Michael.
Michael told the 71-year-old he was a Londoner, but he was currently working out in Ghana installing solar panels to help rural communities.
He also spoke about his 14-year-old son.
Joan looked him up online and it seemed legitimate as there were websites and YouTube videos about his work in Africa.
The pair began to message and speak on the phone, with Michael saying he was due to return to the UK soon.
But the lockdown took place, putting a stop to any supposed plans.
Joan, who was shielding due to cancer, said she looked forward to his phone calls in the evening during the lockdown period.
However, a few days later Michael then called to say there was an accident and he had been stabbed.
He told Joan he had lost all his money and needed cash to pay for urgent medical treatment.
A ‘doctor’ even called Joan to say they would not operate until they received any funds and Joan’s was the only number saved on his phone.
She ended up paying out £300 after feeling concerned Michael’s life was in her hands.
But the demands for cash continued. After ‘Michael’ left hospital he said he had no money left and needed cash for housing, food and even a Netflix subscription.
He also said he needed £700 to transfer gold bars over to the UK, which is how he was being paid by the government in Ghana.
Joan was advised to use an app called Taptapsend to keep transferring the cash, with the payments totalling up to £15k.
Joan said: “After all I have gone through in the past, having cancer and all of that, I wanted to meet people.
“My niece helped me set up an account on Match.com, I paid to go on it. He was from London, but was working in Ghana installing solar panels for people who have got nothing.
“He sent me photos of him working. He called me after he finished work at 9pm. Then one day he said he had been stabbed. He is supposed to have cut a main artery.
“The doctor called me to tell me this, said my number was only one he had on his mobile phone. There was no insurance money, they wouldn’t give him treatment until I paid.
“He asked for £300. I thought he was going to bleed to death, I didn’t want his death to be on my conscious.”
It was not until Joan’s son paid a visit that it became clear she had fallen victim to a scam.
She was heard speaking with Michael over the phone, where her son realised what had been going on and immediately put a stop to the payments.
Joan said: “My son came around and heard me talking on the phone to him. He took the phone off me and said ‘Who was that?’
“I realised I had lost £15k, it was my nest egg. He was supposed to be coming back last Saturday, but my son checked the flights and there were none coming in from Ghana to Heathrow. That is when the penny dropped. I even told lies to my bank and said I knew him, he was a family friend.”
A family member, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “It was all a con and it went on and on. Even to this day he is still calling her trying to get money. I am scared to leave her on her own, these people know who she is and have her details.”
The incident has been reported to Greater Manchester Police. Match.com have been contacted for a comment.