Mother, 47, reveals she was duped into giving £6,000 to a Match.com conman who faked identity documents and 'doctored someone else's face onto his' during video calls - before asking for cash to 'pay legal fees overseas'
- Maria Beckwith, 47, from Leeds, matched with 'David Mills' on Match.com
- Claimed been involved in work incident overseas getting him into legal trouble
- Maria worried they'd never meet and so transferred money to help him out
A mum who was conned into transferring £6,000 to an online suitor through Match.com has shared her heartbreak after discovering it was a fake profile.
Maria Beckwith, 47, from Leeds, West Yorkshire, matched with 'David Mills' on the site in January, and quickly became attached through their romantic daily text and call exchanges.
But when her elusive sweetheart claimed that he had been involved in a work incident overseas getting him into legal trouble, she feared that they may never be able to meet in person.
Over the course of several weeks, the alleged Canadian citizen who claimed he lived in London, suggested she take out loans, borrow from friends and transfer any money to help him so they could be together.
Vulnerable and desperate to meet him, Maria obliged, sending a total of £6,000 before she uncovered that she had been the victim of a romance scam, with the Canadian embassy confirming he was not even a 'real person'.
Maria Beckwith, 47, from Leeds, West Yorkshire, was conned into transferring £6,000 to an online lover through Match.com
Maria matched with 'David Mills' on the site in January, and quickly became attached through their romantic daily text and call exchanges. Pictured, a photo sent to Maria of 'David Mills'
A doctored paycheck sent to Maria by 'David Mills' (pictured)
'It started off well, he seemed really genuine but later on it became fishy when he was asking me for money,' Maria explained.
'But I didn't realise then that it was a scam because we had already built a rapport in the beginning.
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'We would text every single day, every night he would video call me before bed and we would speak for hours.
'He showed me pictures of himself and his daughter and I showed him pictures with my children.
When Maria's (pictured) elusive sweetheart claimed that he had been involved in a work incident overseas getting him into legal trouble, she feared that they may never be able to meet in person
Over the course of several weeks, 'David Mills' - an alleged Canadian citizen who claimed he lived in London - suggested Maria (pictured) take out loans, borrow from friends and transfer any money to help him so they could be together
Maria was vulnerable and desperate to meet 'David Mills' and so sent a total of £6,000 before she uncovered that she had been the victim of a romance scam. Pictured, messages sent to Maria by 'David Mills'
'What I know now is those photos were all fake, they were all photoshopped and he used special equipment to doctor someone else's face onto his while we were on video calls.
'When I realised I had been scammed it was heartbreaking because I lost the money, I lost friends I borrowed money from and I lost the person I thought I was falling in love with.'
After matching on the site in January 2021, Maria, a mature student studying English Language, and the scammer began speaking daily and exchanging photos via Skype and Whatsapp.
Posing as David, he told Maria he was a Canadian citizen living in London and working as a building contractor.
The Canadian embassy confirmed to Maria that 'David Mills' was not even a 'real person'
Maria explained how all the photos 'David Mills' sent over were fake and that they were all photoshopped. Pictures sent to Maria of 'David Mills'
Maria says their initial plans to meet in person were foiled when 'David' said he had to travel to South Africa for work. Pictured, messages sent to Maria by 'David Mills' requesting money
But Maria says their initial plans to meet in person were foiled when 'David' said he had to travel to South Africa for work.
The web of lies continued when he claimed there had been an incident at work which would be blamed on him and he was being kept in Welkom, South Africa facing legal issues.
She said: 'I took pity on him. I asked for his real name and date of birth because I thought the Canadian embassy could help him if he gave me his details, I could go to them on his behalf.
'But when I gave his details to the embassies in Canada or South Africa they told me there was nobody by that name.
'He showed me a pay check for $800,000 and told me that when he had finished this project we could achieve all of our dreams together.
'He told me he would buy us a house in the countryside and that we would pay back everything I had borrowed with interest.
'The penny still didn't drop when he said he wasn't coming home.
The 47-year-old (pictured) said 'David Mills' used special equipment to doctor someone else's face onto his while they were on video calls
Maria (pictured) is unable to retrieve the money through her bank, as she transferred the funds willingly
'I called the Canadian embassy and they told me that I had been the victim of a romance scam, they told me that there was nobody with those details and that it was made up.'
Now, Maria is unable to retrieve the money through her bank, as she transferred the funds willingly.
The police put the mum-of-three in touch with Action Fraud UK, an agency which supports victims of romance scams, but they have warned that it is extremely difficult to find the scammers - who use sophisticated technology to take advantage of their victims.
Maria said: 'I have lost so much and it has really knocked my confidence and affected my ability to trust people.
'I just want to warn other women out there to be careful and never to trust someone until you really know them.'
