NI women conned out of thousands of pounds by fraudster

Police have warned people to be vigilant after Northern Ireland women were conned out of thousands of pounds by an online scam.
An image used by the online scammer has beenreleased by policeAn image used by the online scammer has beenreleased by police
An image used by the online scammer has beenreleased by police

The PSNI has released an image of a man that has been used in a “simple but effective” scam targeting unsuspecting women on Facebook.

Officers say a number of women have been “sucked in” by the fraudster, who uses a variety of fake names and “sob stories” to trick victims into sending substantial sums of money.

In some cases, the scammer poses as US Army general who is stuck in conflict zone such as Syria, and sends out fake images of himself with former President Barack Obama or leading troops into battle.

The fraudster then asks the women to send him money. In return, he promises to come and visit, but says he needs more money for airfare, and so the scam continue.

A PSNI spokesperson said: “We have dealt with ladies in this area who have sent thousands and thousands of pounds. Even when presented with all the evidence by us some victims still refuse to believe and continue to send money.”