Five men have been sentenced to prison after exploiting victims through romance fraud and laundering over £2 million. According to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), there were 40 confirmed victims between 2017 and 2024, with a suspected total of 99 victims affected by the scheme.
At Guildford Crown Court on Tuesday, Fawaz Ali, 27, Ebenezer Tackie, 42, and Michael Quartey, 28, were found guilty of money laundering offences and sentenced to four years and 10 months, four years and six months, and five years and six months respectively. Kwabena Edusei, 37, received a sentence of seven years and 10 months, while George Melseaux, 40, was jailed for three years and nine months.
One victim shared the devastating impact: “I lost my home as I could not keep up with the cost of rising bills. I feel so embarrassed and ashamed that I was scammed, so I have not told anyone and have lied to my family and friends. I am wary whenever any man tries to get close to me, wondering if he will scam me.”
Another victim said, “It’s ruined me as a person; it took years to trust anyone again. How can people live with themselves after the hurt they create and the long-lasting damage they leave behind?”
Victims were manipulated into sending money to cover fabricated expenses, such as fines in remote locations or urgent travel costs. Transfers were made to the men’s bank accounts or sent as cash through the post, the CPS reported.
A CPS spokesperson explained, “The men used flirtatious language to manipulate people into believing they were in genuine, loving relationships.”
Most transactions occurred in the UK, but victims were also identified across Europe, the USA, and Australia.
Jane Mitchell, a specialist CPS prosecutor, said, “These criminals showed complete disregard for their victims, whom they met on online dating sites solely to exploit and scam them. They used grooming tactics to gain trust, causing terrible emotional distress to those affected.”
