British Woman Scammed of £167,000 by Online Romance Fraudster Posing as U.S. Airman

A British woman has lost over £167,000 and her independence after falling victim to a seven-year-long romance scam run by online fraudsters posing as a U.S. Air Force officer.

Angela*, now in her late 60s and living with cerebral palsy, arthritis, and diabetes, was first contacted by the scammer on Facebook in 2017. At the time, she was 60 years old and living alone. The message came from a man claiming to be "Maxwell Johnson," a 59-year-old American airman stationed in Syria.

Lonely and vulnerable, Angela was soon drawn in by Maxwell’s kind words, romantic messages, and promises of love. He regularly chatted with her, kept her company through sleepless nights, and told her she was beautiful. He sent a photo of a handsome man, claiming it was him, and Angela soon felt she had found a caring partner.

“It felt so good to have someone,” she told Mail Online. “He made me feel special again.”

Maxwell quickly claimed to have fallen in love with her and persuaded her to send intimate photos, promising they would remain private. But within months, the scam took a darker turn—he began asking for money.

He claimed he couldn’t access his bank accounts due to military restrictions and needed help covering travel expenses, accommodation, and legal fees. Angela started sending him money—£500 at first, then thousands more over time.

Her daughter, Georgia*, grew suspicious. She did some research and discovered the photos Maxwell had sent were stolen from an unsuspecting man whose image was being used in multiple scams. Still, Angela believed Maxwell's story, convinced that her daughter was just jealous.

Over the years, Maxwell continued asking for money and even gift cards. Each time they planned to meet, he made excuses—paperwork problems, emergency deployments, or cancelled flights.

By 2023, Angela had lost more than £167,000 and was in serious debt. She owed £17,000 to energy providers and care workers and couldn’t afford basic care or home maintenance.

The emotional and financial strain became too much. While on her way to buy more vouchers for Maxwell, Angela crashed her car. As she recovered in the hospital, she received threatening messages from Maxwell demanding more money and saying he would share her private photos if she didn’t pay up.

He kept his word—sending the explicit images to Georgia.

“I felt sick,” Angela said. “It was mortifying.”

Georgia stepped in, changing her mother’s phone number, deleting social media accounts, and reporting the scam to the police. At first, authorities didn’t act, but the threats escalated. Eventually, Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) confirmed that the scam was the work of a Nigerian cybercrime gang. “Maxwell Johnson” never existed.

Angela and Georgia have since moved house for safety, after receiving messages from the scammers describing cars parked outside their home—raising fears of stalking.

Angela is now sharing her story to warn others. “All I wanted was a little happiness,” she said. “I may be ill, but I’m not weak. They haven’t broken me.”

Georgia has started a fundraiser to help restore her mother’s garden and help her start again.

*Names have been changed to protect their privacy.