A woman, Janet Fordham, aged 69, lost her life in a tragic road accident in Ghana after falling victim to multiple romance scams that cost her up to £1 million. The incident occurred in February 2023, following her visit to the country in October the previous year. Mrs. Fordham, a retired housekeeper living in a caravan with her son and daughter-in-law in Honiton, Devon, had been targeted by online fraudsters over a five-year span, resulting in the loss of her home and life savings.
Engaging in online dating since 2017, Mrs. Fordham met an individual who claimed to be a British Army sergeant major stationed in Syria and sought her assistance in bringing gold bars to the UK. Despite initial reservations expressed by her family, Mrs. Fordham continued to send money to the individual, eventually totaling around £150,000. Subsequently, she was further defrauded by a supposed “diplomat” after her UK bank accounts were frozen.
Additional complications arose when another man, identified as Kofi, contacted Mrs. Fordham, expressing concern that she had been scammed. Despite efforts by police to dissuade her from further involvement, Mrs. Fordham persisted in transferring money abroad, including using bitcoin and ATMs. Her financial situation deteriorated as she borrowed money from family members, cashed in her pension, and accumulated debts.
In a tragic turn of events, Mrs. Fordham traveled to Ghana in October 2022 to meet Kofi, with whom she had developed a romantic relationship. Despite interventions by her family and law enforcement, Mrs. Fordham’s decision-making remained influenced by the scammers. The fatal accident that claimed her life occurred while she and Kofi were en route to seek approval for their intended marriage.
Following investigations by the Devon and Cornwall Police, it was revealed that Mrs. Fordham had lost a substantial amount of money, estimated to be between £800,000 and £1 million, due to the fraud schemes. Despite not formally reporting the incidents to the police, Mrs. Fordham’s financial losses and vulnerable situation were extensively documented. The coroner’s conclusion attributed her death to a head injury sustained in the road traffic collision.