"In total, over two and a half years, Elizabeth gave 100,000 to Sam, the man she met online, who she thought she loved and loved her back. She emptied her savings account, pawned her late mother's jewellery and took out bank loans. She became so overdrawn that she could barely afford food and lived mainly on soup. She had sent this money, for all sorts of reasons, to a man she'd never met."
"The first was a $500 Amazon voucher because Sam, a consultant, was out on an oil rig and needed to buy a manual. Later, the rig required a new part; then the tanker transporting the oil ran into problems, too. She gave money to Sam's daughter who was trapped in an abusive marriage. Finally, when Sam became ill, Elizabeth was contacted by his doctor and began paying Sam's medical bills."
"She still feels all of these emotions, which is partly why she now laughs. (If I didn't laugh, I'd never stop crying. Then I'd be no good to anyone.) But she also laughs because, in hindsight, the stories she'd been spun now seem absurd. How could a sharp, funny, intelligent woman who had worked for years in the travel industry and spoke three languages have fallen for them?"
Elizabeth transferred 100,000 over two and a half years to Sam, an online contact she believed she loved. She emptied her savings, pawned her late mother’s jewellery and took out bank loans, becoming so overdrawn she could barely afford food. Payments were made for many claimed emergencies: a $500 Amazon voucher, equipment failures on an oil rig and tanker, help for Sam’s daughter, and medical bills after a reported illness. The scheme ended when her adult sons confronted her, triggering shock, shame, anger, fear and grief. Reports show romance scams among over-55 customers rose 52% in 12 months, with more than 106m lost to romance fraud.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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