83-Year-Old Woman Cheated Out of £20,000 in Online Scrabble Romance Scam

An 83-year-old woman from Oldham, Greater Manchester, was swindled out of over £20,000 by a scammer she encountered while playing Scrabble online. The scammer, masquerading as a 60-year-old wealthy American widower, promised her a new chance at love following the loss of her husband.

Their acquaintance began over the online game, eventually moving to a private communication platform where the scammer intensified their relationship and started requesting money under pretenses. Among his deceitful claims were that his daughter required an urgent operation to save her leg and that he needed funds to cover his bail in Istanbul, Turkey, after purportedly being arrested on his way back from a business trip.

He even went as far as to send a fabricated letter from the United Nations to substantiate his claim of imprisonment.

The victim made payments totaling more than £20,000 across 18 months before realizing she might have fallen prey to a scam. She then confided in her brother, who, after consulting with Greater Manchester Police (GMP), reported the incident to Action Fraud.

The victim’s brother highlighted the cunning nature of the scammers, noting their strategy of targeting platforms popular with older women, such as online Scrabble, to find potential victims with some financial means. He also shared the gradual change in his sister’s behavior and the moment of revelation when she admitted to having been duped, highlighting the emotional and psychological impact of such scams on victims and their families.