I lost my £700k life savings to a romance scam – flower trick exposed the value of my nest egg, signs to watch out for

STANDING in my party dress, I smiled for the camera, but inside I felt sick. It was my 60th birthday and I’d just realised my ‘partner’ was a scammer – and I’d given him my life savings. In June 2023, I was 58 and had been happily single for eight years. Then a friend showed me a dating app for African Americans, and I thought I’d give it a try. Jackie, pictured with her brother and niece, is rebuilding her life after being scammed Credit: Supplied Jackie was scammed by the ‘perfect boyfriend’ out of £700,000 was unable to recover any of it That’s how I found Brandon, 49, an attractive, widowed dad-of-two who owned a construction company. Although he was based in New York, 100 miles away, he travelled all over for work. We made contact, and within a month we were messaging and calling at least three times a day. When he asked for my address to send flowers, I was flattered, not realising he could work out the value of my home, which I owned outright. I’d told him I was hoping to retire at 65, so he was aware I had a nest egg. He was the perfect boyfriend, regularly sending me gifts. We even prayed together on our phone calls, which made me trust him more. But every time we arranged to meet in person, he’d say he had a work emergency or a sick child he had to look after. That September, he mentioned he’d invested in cryptocurrency, sending me screenshots of statements showing millions. He offered to introduce me to his broker Maximillian via email, and I decided to invest £30k of my savings. Brandon told me he’d topped it up with £45k to help me ‘catch up’ with him, and I was able to access online statements showing my money growing by thousands every week. I felt so excited. Jackie celebrating her 60th birthday which Brandon offered to help pay for Credit: Supplied A year after being scammed, Jackie’s financial situation remains difficult and she’s battling with banks about the debts Credit: Supplied Brandon would send links to luxury homes we’d buy together. Later that month, he posted me a cheque for £75k and asked me to deposit it into my account, then wire the money to buy more crypto. The cheque was signed by a woman in Florida – Brandon claimed she was a client and this was a fee for a job. Feeling uneasy, I called the police, but they weren’t concerned. I also phoned the woman’s bank, who confirmed the cheque was real. I later discovered she was another of Brandon’s victims. Reassured, I wired the money, plus £300k of savings I’d accumulated since I was 21. Then Brandon persuaded me to take out a £140k loan against my home, and I sent other large sums from investments, altogether totalling around £700k. I had yet to actually meet Brandon, or even have a video call with him, but I was convinced we were in a loving relationship. Friends knew about him, and one relative had spoken to him on the phone. With my 60th approaching in July 2024, I decided to throw a party. Brandon offered to help pay and sent £26k. When he told me he wanted to take me to Greece after the party, I sent him a photo of my passport so he could book flights, not realising he’d steal my identity. A month before my birthday, the police contacted me – they’d received an anonymous call claiming I was being scammed. Brandon insisted it was ridiculous, but a seed of doubt had been planted. I downloaded our emails, messages and screenshots, and gave them to the police. In the following weeks, I had letters from banks where accounts had been opened in my name, cheques deposited and funds withdrawn before the cheques bounced. They claimed I owed tens of thousands. Horrified, I realised Brandon was a scammer. It was too late to cancel my party by that point, so I went ahead with it, and when Brandon said at the last minute that he couldn’t attend, I knew it was all lies. I cut off all communication with him. Police traced my money as far as Nigeria and Singapore, but were unable to recover any of it, which was devastating. Thankfully, I had support from the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons), which I now campaign for. Jackie risks losing her home and will no longer be able to retire at 65 Credit: Supplied Pictures How to protect yourself from romance fraud Take things slowly and protect your personal information Be wary of anyone who quickly declares their love If they refuse to video call or always have an excuse, be suspicious Never send money to someone you have not met in person If you think you have been targeted, report it to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk A year on, my financial situation remains difficult. I’m battling with banks about the debts and am at risk of losing my home. I’ll no longer be able to retire at 65. But I refuse to feel ashamed – too many people like me feel stupid, and it keeps this crime in the shadows. I am proof that it can happen to anyone.