West Sussex lorry drover looking for love loses £21,000

Mike Curzon from Selsey was conned out of £21,000 by trickster “Patricia” who posed as an American barmaid online.

The divorced 60-year-old sold his car and van, wired over his £5,000 life savings and even borrowed £10,000 more from his brother, after she promised to marry him after she settled her bills.

It is part of a wider warning from Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne, who revealed that 256 reports of romance fraud were made in 2020 - a 63 per cent increase from 2019.

Mr Curzon was left suicidal after discovering the ruse. He said: “I was on my own during lockdown and I was really scared and lonely. She definitely took advantage of that.

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“I loved this woman. I thought I was going to marry her, and I just wanted to protect her.

Mr Curzon thanks the police.

“The work they do is brilliant," he said. "Without their support I wouldn't be here today and I mean that. Just to have a listening ear and being able to talk to someone about how you feel means a lot of support in itself, so I want to thank them for listening.”

According to Sussex Police, victims lost more than £3million in total to fraudsters who preyed on those looking for companionship, with the average amount lost per person being £12,800.

Many of these scams saw people believing they had met their perfect partner online, but in fact a fraudster was using a fake profile to build a relationship with them.

Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne

This year, PCC Katy Bourne awarded a further £57,745 to fund the caseworkers, who in that time, worked with 880 vulnerable victims.

They offer emotional support, practical guidance and advice on how to spot the signs of future fraudulent activity.

Lisa Mills, senior fraud manager, said: “Romance fraud is a despicable crime which has wide ranging emotional, psychological and financial impacts on victims.

"The fraudsters are very skilled in their use of language and use a variety of other manipulative techniques in order to intensify the romantic feelings of their victims towards them.

"This is with the clear aim of financially exploiting them, with no thought or care for the devastating consequences of such actions, on their victim’s emotional and financial wellbeing.”

PCC Katy Bourne will be sharing Action Fraud advice across social media this Valentine’s Day in the hopes that others do not fall victim to "fake love" like Mr Curzon did.

She said “Organised criminals are acutely aware of how lonely and isolated people are at this time and a lockdown Valentine’s Day provides the perfect opportunity for fraudsters to prey on those who are seeking love and affection.

“This crime is not only deceiving and can con our residents out of hard-earned savings but it is also incredibly cruel.

“That is why the services and specialist skills of our Fraud Caseworkers are so incredibly important. I’m really pleased with the work they are doing to successfully protect and support our most vulnerable victims of fraud.

“Please heed the advice being issued by Action Fraud this Valentine’s Day. Be vigilant to the signs they tell you to look out for and protect your savings and, more importantly, your heart.”