Fraudster posing as Jason Statham convinces love-struck woman to hand over £100,000 thinking Hollywood hunk loved her
A con-man posing as the film hunk bombarded his victim with flirty texts
A LOVE-struck woman handed over hundreds of thousands of pounds to a fraudster posing as Hollywood hunk Jason Statham.
The con-man bombarded her with flirty messages before convincing her to part with the cash by claiming payment he was owed from a film was delayed.
His victim, a woman from the North West of England who asked not to be named, was targeted during a vulnerable time following the deaths of her mum and fiance.
Speaking to the , she said: "I'm quite a strong person but obviously certain things get to you and you let your guard down."
She was first approached by the fraudster on Facebook as she looked at a page dedicated to the Fast And Furious star.
The infatuated fan believed that film heartthrob Statham, 51, was being friendly and reaching out to fans.
She added: "I thought 'Oh, that's nice of him, talking to his fans'.
"I might have been star-struck then, I don't know."
FLIRTY TEXTS
The heartless conman then encouraged her to message him on WhatsApp - where texts are encrypted.
His victim soon became convinced she was building a romantic relationship with the actor.
But looking back, she said: "I don't feel like I was in the right place myself because of what I'd been through."
The fraudster then told her he loved her - and begged her to transfer money to him as he was going through financial trouble.
A series of payments over the following weeks added up to hundreds of thousands of pounds.
It was a substantial amount, which would have made a difference to my life and my family
Fraud victim
The distraught woman declined to say exactly how much she handed over.
But she said: "It was a substantial amount, which would have made a difference to my life and my family."
After becoming suspicious, she eventually contacted Greater Manchester Police (GMP) whose Economic Crime Unit launched an investigation.
Officers were unable to track down the fraudster - who is believed to have been operating from abroad.
'TIP OF THE ICEBERG'
Det Con Craig Moylon, from GMP, said: "This lady has been subject to somebody who just tricked her at a very vulnerable time in her life.
"When you see the relentless messaging that this lady got from this person and you see the grooming and the exploitation... the impact is extraordinary."
It comes as police warn online fraud is reaching "epidemic" levels.
Greater Manchester Police alone is receiving reports of around 1,000 victims a month.
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Cops estimate that that the true number of victims could be as much as 20 times higher.
Det Con Moylon added: "We all know its the tip of the iceberg.
"The amount of people that report fraud are probably about 5-10% of the amount of people who actually are victims."
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