A WORCESTERSHIRE woman has been tricked out of thousands of pounds by a man she met online.

In December last year the 53-year-old, who wants to remain anonymous, received a Facebook friend request from a man based in Nigeria previously unknown to her. She accepted the request and their conversations moved from Facebook to messaging platform WhatsApp.

The victim believed she was in a relationship with the man and was happy to send money when he asked for cash for a laptop. Over time he began to ask for more money and over the course of a month, she sent him £6,000.

She went to her local bank to withdraw a further £2,000, but the bank had concerns as to why she was withdrawing the cash. Police were contacted as they suspected that their customer was a vulnerable victim of fraud. Officers spoke with the woman and were able to see the hundreds of text messages received from the man in Nigeria.

Police shared the woman's story as it was revealed that romance fraud has risen this year by over 35 per cent. It is believed the pandemic has created an opportunity for offenders to target victims who have been isolated from friends and family, and the global situation has provided a believable cover story to exploit.

Victims of romance fraud are usually women aged between 50 to 59 years old, whereas male victims are generally younger with the highest proportion of victims being aged 20 to 29.

Police and Crime Commissioners John Campion said: “Lockdown was a particularly challenging time for everyone, but for people feeling isolated and lonely, these challenges may have made them more vulnerable to exploitation. Criminals have used online dating sites to make connections, gain trust and take advantage. Victims of these crimes can be left feeling devastated at the loss, not only financially but emotionally too.”

"I am committed to making sure that the victims of crime receive the best possible support and I urge anyone that has been a victim of these crimes to make sure that report it to West Mercia Police and get the help they need to cope and recover.”

Last October the Worcester News reported how a fraudster conned thousands of pounds from a former student at Worcester Sixth Form College who he met on a dating site.

Gambling addict Benjamin Lewis met Robert Shepherd - a ‘sympathetic’ older man in his late 60s - online before tricking him out of nearly £30,000 over a six month period.

READ MORE:

Whistleblower midwife says staff are exhausted and 'working like dogs'

Tributes paid to popular teacher from The Chase, Malvern

Amateur snooker player Lewis, aged 25, told his victim he had lost his job, his mother had died and his dad had suffered a heart attack. He claimed he needed the money to turn professional, buy a new car and visit his dad in hospital in North Wales after he suffered a heart attack.

Having won a snooker tournament in Great Yarmouth, Lewis, of Oak Tree Close, Evesham, told the victim he would use the winnings to pay back some of the money owed. However, this was then gambled away and not a penny was paid back.

The cash was paid into Lewis’s account via bank transfer in 246 transactions between May 31, 2015 and October 16, 2016. The judge sentenced Lewis to 12 months in prison suspended for 18 months and ordered him to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.