A heartbreaking case has seen a mum-of-two having been convinced to give a quarter of a million pounds she thought she was handing out to Hollywood stars such as Charlie Hunnam. The catch?
None of it was real.
Jennifer Barton has spoken out after being placed in extreme financial hardship by scammers who took her money, convincing her over the course of two years that they were actor Alexander Ludwig, Netflix star Charlie Hunnam, Westlife's Nicky Byrne, and singer Michael Ray.
In the two-year period, the 44-year-old has revealed she was told they ‘loved her’, with the fake celebrities often messaging her claiming to be going through a divorce and thus going through money troubles.
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In this time she was convinced to sell her house, her car, belongings, and is now living in an HMO waiting for emergency housing.
Barton claimed that things began when someone messaged her claiming to be a representative for Alexander Ludwig, the star of the TV showVikings.
She said she was advised to switch over to Telegram, saying: “At the start, it was general everyday kind of chat with a bit of flirtatiousness.
“But the smooth talk quickly turned into sob stories and cash demands.
“It was within a month or so he asked for money. He asked for around £3,000 for court fees.”
The NHS worker added that whilst ‘hoping that the guy is legit’ she added: “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 a year she sent him £6,000 in cash and the same again in bitcoin.
She would later send another Ludwig impersonator more than £100,000 as he claimed it would be used to ‘catch’ the original.
A Charlie Hunnam fake failed in getting money out of her after she spotted his accent changed, but someone pretending to be Michael Ray eventually convinced her to sell everything she owned.
They claimed to have a charity that would help her cover bills after she sent them money, leading her to send him almost £110,000.
She added: “He said I would be able to get a new house with the money and he was reassuring me that everything was going okay.”
After realising the truth when he refused to meet repeatedly she was left with almost nothing financially, motivating her to speak out.
She said: “I ran out of money, I’m currently homeless at the moment. For anyone facing anything similar, just reach out to family and friends. Especially if they’re asking you for money.
“There was an addictiveness, when someone gives you attention, even if it’s a scammer, it’s nice.
“They play on your feelings.”
She has enlisted a solicitor to help her recover some of the money, enlisting CEL Solicitors, whose CEO Jessica Hampson said: “Cases like this are much more common than people realise.
“It’s easy to think that something like this could never happen to us, but the truth is, those who prey on vulnerability are skilled at exploiting people’s emotions and fears. 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.”
LADbible has contacted the reps of Alexander Ludwig and Charlie Hunnam for comment.
Topics: Celebrity, Charlie Hunnam, Money, UK News
Michael Slavin