Chris Maxwell tried to make women fall in love with him online by hiding behind pictures of handsome American soldiers stolen from his real Instagram account.
The 25-year-old Nigerian said he was scammed out of more than $70,000 (£56,000) over five years and enjoyed “lavish” spending, including clubs and nights out wearing designer clothes.
“When I was doing this job, I was thinking about people. I felt guilty,” he told Sky News.
“I used to feel bad, but as time went on, I started making good money, a lot of money, so I stopped feeling bad.”
Reports of romance scams are on the rise in the UK, with the latest figures showing victims were scammed out of more than £88 million last year.
Chris said he became a scammer when he was a 17-year-old student, approaching strangers on social media from the US, UK, Canada and Germany.
“I start with common ground. I make sure they like me,” he says.
“They trust me so much that they can tell me anything; they trust me and they can confide in me.
“Then I started having a relationship with them and that's when my scam started.”
Chris said an American woman he contacted online and spoke to for a year gave him more than $30,000 (£24,000).
“After she gave me the money, she got sick,” he says.
“She was depressed and wanted to know if I was a real person.
“I did something really, really bad. I started feeling guilty because she was sick.
“I showed her my face. She cried, but she forgave me.”
Romance scammer guide leaked
Chris said he knows people who have been arrested in Nigeria but not charged with romance fraud and have “served time in prison.”
None of the money was returned to the victims, but after an American woman was introduced to Social Catfish, a company that uses reverse lookup technology to verify online identities and help identify scammers. “I have a good life,” he claims. Chris currently works as a consultant for that company.
Since turning his back on a life of crime, he said a 40-page step-by-step guide titled “How to Make a White Woman Fall in Love with You” was leaked from an online chat used by scammers.
The handbook advises scammers to target women over 40 and details how to conduct research through social media profiles, including “her hobbies, pets, work, passions, children. They suggest finding out if there are any, their age, and where they are. Her way of life, what she likes, etc. ”
Would-be scammers are told to approach them with the information they have gathered or choose from a list of “100 pick-up lines that work every time,'' including “Life without you is like a broken pencil.'' It seems like…it's pointless.''
There are tips to get the conversation going, including using grammar apps to avoid mistakes, a series of questions to ask, and even “100 Best Jokes That Will Crap Her Ribs Because It's One To Make A Woman Laugh.'' There are even “pieces''. What is the fastest way to make her fall in love with you? ”
The guide recommends compliments and also has a list of suggestions here, instructing scammers to wait at least a week before asking for money, but this should not be done “in person.” .
“If she asks you about your day, you can tell her that today was the worst,” says the guide.
“Then tell her you're bankrupt, you're behind on your mortgage, you're going to be evicted next week, and you've exhausted everything you can to get the money. She'll volunteer to give it to you. I would suggest.”
Lloyds Bank data shows reports of romance scams rose by more than a fifth (22%) last year compared to 2022, with the average victim losing around £7,000.
Mr Lloyds said victims aged between 65 and 74 tended to lose more on average – more than £13,000.
Detective Constable Rebecca Mason, of Surrey Police, said that while people who wrote “widowed, divorced or lonely” in their online profiles could be considered targets, “anyone can become a victim of romance scams”. , said gay men are often disproportionately targeted. .
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Figures released by the National Fraud Intelligence Unit show that victims are more likely to be men, with the most people in their 20s being scammed in the UK last year.
Data shows there were more than 8,600 reports of romance scams in the UK last year, with 11 victims under the age of 10 and 12 victims over 90.
Romance scammer using AI
DC Mason says scammers are looking to take advantage of the surge in usage of dating apps in the run-up to Valentine's Day.
She warns that AI technology is enabling fraudsters to create entirely new identities and images.
“They can use this AI technology to make video calls and make them look real,” she told Sky News.
“People are now more confident to speak up and report Action Fraud to the police, but this crime is still under-reported.
“This change has occurred with online dating becoming much more acceptable than it probably was a few years ago.”
Wayne Stevens, national fraud director at charity Victim Support, said romance scams were “very common” and that people looked for friendship and romance online around Valentine's Day, making them a “devastating crime.” '' may be more likely to occur.
“There is a common misconception that romance scams, and scams in general, only affect older adults,” he added.
“In reality, scammers are highly skilled opportunists who take advantage of people when they are most depressed and looking for companionship, making anyone an easy victim.”
