‘We Were Victims Of Romance Fraud & Want To Spread Awareness’ | This Morning

According to recent data, romance scams increased by 30% last year and two people who know first hand the impact and trauma of these scams are Cecilie Fjellhøy and Anna Rowe. Celcilie, who features in the 2022 Netflix true crime documentary ‘The Tinder Swindler’ was conned out of £200,000 by a man she was dating, while Anna was exploited by a man she met online. Since their experiences the two women have set up a support platform and are calling for greater support for romance fraud victims. They join us in the studio to share their stories.
Broadcast on 05/12/2023
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[@sandym6352]

I'm a single woman in her 60s. I'm really saddened that people (largely women it seems) keep behaving in this way. Yes, it's a romance scam - but why are people still falling this? It's all over the news. NEVER give a man money . . . . if you do it once and they don't repay any of it, and you give them more that is just dumb.

[@angelaparsons200]

Me too, single in my 60s and would never give a man money, it's a massive red flag plus all the publicity about these scams its crazy these women give their hard earned money away 😳

[@snowpz]

No decent person would ask their new partner for money, a decent person would hide their issues or tell them and deal with it not put it on their partner. Women ignore so many red flags and for the life of me idk why

[@freyaevans3204]

It's really sad to see how much empathy you lack Sandy. I think you can be considered very lucky to not have been manipulated in vulnerable moments. No need to victim blame.

[@wildnfree101]

For Love Or Money is back on the BBC. One woman sent £150,000 to a man before she realised it was a con. The she met another man online, and sent him £100,000. (I have no words!)

[@nicolataylor6011]

​@@freyaevans3204She's plenty empathy...and common sense, also a lack of ego..people need to grow up

[@hump1953]

I’m a 71 year old man who met a 28 year old Filipina and over the last three years have given her a huge amount of money… I did do a lot of video calls with her but never met her… don’t give money to someone you have never met …

[@bbmackev1]

There aren’t organizations anywhere in the world to help victims that have been scammed.

[@alisoncooper2718]

I'm sorry but I was a victim of this . He reckoned he was from the states . I was on the look out from day 1 and as soon as he started asking for money I said no and that was the end . Why are these women lured into it and so gullible .

[@BP-of5cp]

The woman describes how he was saying he was a CEO. He had assistants and body guards and his social media life was matching what she saw in real life. No one went to her and point black asked for money! So don't be quick to judge! And if you said No and spotted the scam, good on you!

[@BP-of5cp]

@@j4Rose😂😂😂 it was a lot more than that! It's sad but it does happen.

[@awolf913]

@@j4Rose’handsome’ translation: money

[@h.neubert8770]

@awolf913 you sound a bit bitter

[@awolf913]

@@h.neubert8770 just stating the facts that’s all. You seem triggered.

[@JamesJohnAgar]

So why isn't the Tinder Swindler being extradited yet by the UK authorities?? Seems to have all gone very quiet.

[@conorfurlong]

Because the police say that she gave him the money willingly, so there’s no legal case. It’s absurd. In every fraud case involving money someone hands over money willingly, they do so because they don’t have full and correct information - which is exactly what happened to these women. It’s textbook fraud.

[@URFUTUREUK]

Lol

[@maryamvalley9525]

Rich people dont have to abide by laws of a country.

[@JamesJohnAgar]

@@maryamvalley9525 but he is not rich, that was his scams

[@awolf913]

I would say he was smart.

[@FBICPS]

“He flew me on a private jet” that impressed her! - she was taken in by the lifestyle. If the same guy took her to McDonald’s she would walk away.

[@awolf913]

This is nothing but FACTS! Why is no one mentioning the obvious?! She is hypergamous and greedy end of story.

[@h.neubert8770]

@awolf913 you again! Perpetuating stereotypes I see. And maybe no one but you is mentioning it, because you and your 2-3 accounts are alone with that opinion?

[@awolf913]

@@h.neubert8770 I only report the general rather than the exceptions. The world works on generalities such as not all signs are written in braille, men tend to be physically stronger than women, women tend to be better at understanding non-verbal cues. Of course there are exceptions to most things but exceptions don’t disprove the rule.

[@Challenger2A7]

​@@h.neubert8770 Nope, I and many others agree with awolf, though I'm fascinated to know why you yourself are so afraid of facts.

[@bella3775]

This was literally the first thing she mentioned. I feel no empathy for her.

[@alexbland4780]

That is just a vile thing to happen to anyone but there is so much social media about

[@gabrielletanner5339]

They contact me and others on Facebook all the time e, and there are no pictures of ourselves. We campaign for animals. We've had generals In the USA, ha ha. Widowed or single usually with a child. The first one I came across engaged me in conversation (until I knew better) then asked if I could get his son a present (with my money) then I blocked him. Never, never send money. These people are in Africa, a lot of the time.

[@FXHEROS]

Never give out money when dating within the first 3 months there are people on dating websites that sign up just to get your money and they block your phone number and you never hear from them again the next day. When you say no they say just give me this much you feel you have to then another day they ask you for more and another day more. LOVE IS FREE is doesnt cost.

[@marthas.4456]

Never give any money to anybody, except very few people whom you know for a very long time, I mean years. The online scammers will groom you for many months, before they are asking for money. Three months is a very short time, you can't know the person during it, especially when most of the communication is online.

[@wildnfree101]

If you have known someone for a month or 6 weeks and they ask you for money, find someone else. I met a woman online, she was gorgeous, she could have been a model. She lived in London and was a business woman who was just about to close a big deal in Africa which would make her £100,000 profit. Unfortunately when she was in Africa she hit a problem. Can I send her £5000, and she will give me £25,000 when the deal closes and she comes back to England to see me. Then she asked for £2000 has she had managed to scrape together £3000. smh

[@coldflu]

Fraud is a popular crime many lawmakers think is ethical.

[@isyt1]

I’ve followed Cecelia on insta since seeing the tinder swindler doc a year or so ago. It’s such a shame, she’s genuinely an adorable person, inside and out. Hope she gets her money back and Simon gets the jail.

[@pattyvmtl]

I’m

[@FBICPS]

She fell for the lifestyle! She would have walked away from the same guy if he took her to McDonalds.

[@awolf913]

@@FBICPS it’s true, yet nobody is calling the obvious out! This is hypergamy on steroids.

[@awolf913]

@@FBICPSfacts

[@jimbojimbo6873]

When does this become fraud? It seems like s huge lie but she willfully gave her money without any expectation of receiving anything back.

[@KEG-keg]

Errr pretty sure she expected her ‘rich CEO boyfriend’ to pay her back…

[@the.selinaelle]

She didn't "give" him any money. It wasn't a gift. She borrowed him money to help him out as a temporary solution. He said he was gonna give it back, never did. On top of that he lied, gaslighted, blamed, emotionally abused, guilt tripped and manipulated her. This is fraud and financial abuse, and a textbook narcissist is what he is.

[@athek7081]

​@@the.selinaelleor just a wife!

[@CatchTheCatfish]

When you lie -especially on this scale, to extort money from people it’s called fraud. I am constantly reminded how little education people have about the law 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@awolf913]

@@the.selinaellebut it’s still her fault no matter how you dress it up, what was being asked was an outrageous amount of money. If he was average Joe working at McDonalds she would have gone pretty much straight away. Her hypergamy and wanting the lifestyle went against her.

[@tabredhair8644]

Well done ❤️❤️

[@sweetf.a.9910]

I get astounded with how blind people can be

[@FBICPS]

They are blinded by the lifestyle. These women want a man that provides a lifestyle.

[@awolf913]

@@FBICPShypergamy

[@Boo-pv4hn]

I was in a wheelchair at a young age I started dating a guy we got close, I woke up one morning my card was gone my bank had been raided and he left to another part of the country. No support no help, I didn’t give him my pin but he came with me when I got shopping as I need d someone to push me around, as I was in a wheelchair and he was standing he may well have seen the number with out me knowing. I was lest confused distraught ashamed and distrusting. I’ve been much make careful since, I even go to the event of hiding my bag from site where possible.

[@marthas.4456]

Did you report him? People who are stealing from the disabled are the lowest of the low.

[@FBICPS]

These women fall in love with the lifestyle! They wouldn’t date him if he was the postman.

[@awolf913]

Facts!

[@h.neubert8770]

Money isn’t everything, so please stop projecting and victim blaming.

[@awolf913]

@@h.neubert8770 without his wealth and status as shown by his pics, I’m telling you now he would not have got the interest that he did. To say otherwise is clearly delusional.

[@FBICPS]

@@h.neubert8770 That’s what you should tell the women that fell for the lifestyle

[@hanafatimah6577]

Wow, unbelievable, similar story to me too involve money, coercive control, and very aggressive behaviour and losing my son in third month of pregranncy.

[@krnstc]

Love seeing Rylan & Emma!! More please!!

[@catrescuer]

Emma and Rylan work together very well..more of them please 🎉

[@lionessnala2000]

Gullible women...how could you give a man your credit card...and all this money 😢

[@FBICPS]

Because they wanted the lifestyle!

[@h.neubert8770]

Many people are very lonely. Like really really lonely.

[@awolf913]

@@h.neubert8770 then they could get an average man who would treat them right.

[@Do27gg]

I think it’s easy to say you wouldn’t fall for it with hindsight ngl but I also don’t think I would fall for this myself

[@abbiebrown2733]

I love emma and Ryland. I hope to see them again ❤❤❤

[@k.k8291]

Gold diggers swindled by a more sophisticated gold digger.

[@kyllancarrington]

Someone who was a STRANGER how can this be permitted.

[@xitsEHIMEx]

My God £200,000 debt.

[@conorfurlong]

The simple truth is: if men were the ones being targeted and defrauded by women then you can bet the police and authorities would be looking into cracking down on this. It’s appalling that these women have had to go through these ordeals and the authorities are doing nothing to help them, and the men who committed these crimes (they are crimes) and continue to commit these crimes are out there continuing to do so.

[@alisoncooper2718]

Many men are victims love

[@conorfurlong]

@@alisoncooper2718 Far fewer than women. Love.

[@wildnfree101]

@@conorfurlong(Chances are less men admit to being conned, I would not be shouting from the rooftops if I fell for the following.) If you have known someone for a month or 6 weeks and they ask you for money, find someone else. I met a woman online, she was gorgeous, she could have been a model. She lived in London and was a business woman who was just about to close a big deal in Africa which would make her £100,000 profit. Unfortunately when she was in Africa she hit a problem. Can I send her £5000, and she will give me £25,000 when the deal closes and she comes back to England to see me. Then she asked for £2000 has she had managed to scrape together £3000 and she would still give me the £25,000. smh

[@conorfurlong]

@@wildnfree101 Nonsense.

[@conorfurlong]

@j4Rose I don’t think you know the meaning of “disingenuous”.

[@keithbentley6081]

Who's the presenter, looks like a live action actor from Thunderbirds.

[@h.neubert8770]

Why does that sound like bullying

[@carolineswain]

Ive been swindled 2 times now

[@gardenroom65]

Grow up!

[@carolineswain]

@@gardenroom65 you too

[@carolineswain]

@@jayashreecn2035 yes if course we can talk more

[@Lambandpotatocurry]

If they start asking for money, RUN

[@CandiceSandford]

He looks like Rio Ferdinand

[@josephlenehan4461]

Joseph and today TV 😀

[@gottalovetheinternet]

Why is Ryland smiling during this? He thinks its amusing?

[@h.neubert8770]

He is smiling as his guests, but barely at all?

[@sbiiine]

So happy to see Emma and Rylan reunited. dreamteam!!!

[@bigbang7897]

Why in Gods name do the producers of this show have those two Speakmans on talking the greatest load of dribble what a waste of good air time.

[@elisa7881]

Where are you "writing" this post from?

[@stephcampbell9277]

To try and protect potential victims of fraud.

[@hotbambi2010]

Better than Phil and holly

[@jewelssunsun9450]

​@stephcampbell9277 The Speakmans don't deal with fraud. They deal with phobias.

[@h.neubert8770]

Why are you writing then?

[@truth3358]

Could these presenters sit any closer rylon is sitting on top near enough

[@user-fd2ix9uq1k]

😮no sympathy

[@emiliavelitch7775]

There are many cone artists out there. Some people get blinded easily than others. Its hard to protect yourself. But here the story is unbelievable. It looks like this man was chased more than James Bond in a movie.😂😂

[@sylwiakowalczyk3270]

Maybe next time the host could talk about his addiction to Botox and surgeries? 🫣🤔

[@h.neubert8770]

Kindness