A Roehampton man has been jailed for his part in an online romance fraud conspiracy.
Using internet dating sites, the group of six hid behind the false personas of ‘Kevin Churchill’ and ‘Kevin Thompson’, posing as wealthy businessmen with international lifestyles to target women in a bid to persuade them of their genuine romantic interest.
Over time the fraudsters got to know their victims and then started asking to borrow money, citing everything from help paying for veterinary bills, to legal fees and travel costs.
Believing they were in a loving relationship, two victims handed over a total of £240,000 between 2016 and 2017.
Obed Addo, 37, from Roehampton was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court on August 2 to 21 months imprisonment for money laundering.
Four other men were jailed for a combined eight years and two months, with another currently awaiting sentencing.
In a statement one of the victims, ‘Sharon’, a mother of two grown-up children, said: “I lost my sense of self-worth and my integrity which through the help of victim support and the support of my children, I’ve managed to restore. There were some very black days and it’s been an uphill battle.
“Financially, I lost everything and this will continue throughout the rest of my life. I am systematically repaying those I borrowed from and I’ve had to get a flat share. I just manage to cover my share of the rent and bills and have nothing left over.”
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