Husband devastated after wife gives away £100,000 to romance scammers

14 February 2024 , 10:57

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The husband (not pictured) doesn't know how to help his wife (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

One man has revealed how his wife has given away £100,000 to romance scammers - but she refuses to believe she has been conned.

Joe Wilkinson and partner Emily, aged 79 and 83, had built up “a generous” inheritance pot - but he was left horrified when he discovered his wife had been giving away their life savings to people she had developed relationships with in secret on Facebook.

Joe, whose name has been changed, told Money Mail that he believes Emily has been scammed by three “men” in total, who pose as American soldiers. She has never met any of them in person. As well as giving them money from their joint bank account, Joe revealed Emily has also taken out loans, sold their Mercedes and pawned her jewellery to send cash to the mystery “men” in question.

He said he feels powerless to stop her, as she does not believe she is being scammed. Romance scams normally see the fraudster adopt a fake identity online to gain your trust to form a relationship with you. Once they have gained your trust, they then normally start asking for money or your personal details to then scam you.

Joe and Emily have been married for over 50 years and says he believes the first scam started in 2017. The fraudsters have asked Emily to send money in various different ways - including bank transfers, gifts cards and through Bitcoin accounts.

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Joe told This is Money: “We did absolutely everything to convince her that these were scams, telling her the people were not real, but all to no avail. She just doesn’t seem to see it, and she carries on in her own sweet way.”

Joe contacted the Banking Ombudsman and they agreed to refund £40,000 - but it was sent back to Emily’s bank account and she has continued to send money to the scammers. Joe revealed he has now rewritten their wills, putting assets, such as property, into a trust to safeguard them from his wife.

What to do if you think you’ve been scammed

If you think a scammer has got hold of your bank details, contact your bank straight away. You can call the 159 hotline, which will connect you to your bank.

Passwords that have been leaked or compromised should be changed immediately. Make sure you report scams and fraud to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040, or through the Action Fraud website.

If you're in Scotland, report a scam through Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000 or on the Advice Direct Scotland website. You can also report scams to Police Scotland on 101.

Levi Winchester