UK man scammed £80,000 by a Kenyan promising to marry him
In a tragic twist of fate, 69-year-old Rodrick Lodge, a grieving widower, has found himself homeless and destitute after being deceived by a fake romance that drained his life savings.
Lodge, who lost his wife Pauline in 2019, was seeking solace when he was introduced to a supposed “woman” named Anita by a friend from Kenya. What began as a seemingly genuine online relationship soon turned into a nightmare.
Believing he had found love again, Lodge agreed to relocate to Nairobi to marry Anita. Under the pretense of a dowry agreement, he sent £85,000 for home renovations, convinced by staged photos and intimate messages that the relationship was real. Anita was portrayed as a successful businesswoman with a promising future.
The heart-wrenching reality hit Lodge when he arrived in Kenya, only to find that Anita was a figment of his imagination—and his friend, who had orchestrated the scam. His dreams of rekindling love turned to despair as he realized the entire scheme had been a cruel con.
Returning to the UK with nothing, Lodge spent three days homeless at Heathrow Airport before finding temporary refuge in a shelter. Now living in Woking, he faces a bleak future, struggling with the devastating loss of his savings and the betrayal that shattered his hope for a new beginning.
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