Chris Maxwell hides behind a photo of a handsome American soldier stolen from a real Instagram account and tries to make women fall in love with him online.
The 25-year-old Nigerian says he conned up to 30 victims out of more than $70,000 (£56,000) over five years, enjoying “lavish” spending on nights out at clubs and designer clothes.
“When I was doing it, I was thinking about people, and I was feeling guilty,” he told Sky News.
“I used to feel bad but as time went on and I started making good money – big money – I stopped feeling bad.”
Reports of romance fraud are on the rise in the UK, with victims duped out of more than £88 million last year, according to the latest figures.
Chris says he became a scammer when he was a 17-year-old student, communicating with strangers in the US, UK, Canada and Germany via social media.
Chris says he became a romance scammer at the age of 17. Pic: Chris Maxwell
“I start on common ground, and make sure they like me,” he says.
“I make sure they trust me a lot and tell me anything, they can trust me, they can trust me.
“Then, I start getting into a relationship with them, and that's how I start the scam.”
Chris says an American woman – whom he contacted online and spoke to for a year – handed over more than $30,000 (£24,000).
“After she gave me the money, I got sick,” he says.
“She became depressed and wanted to see who I really was.
“She did something really bad. I started to feel guilty that she was sick.
“I showed her my face, and she cried, but she forgave me.”
Romance scammer guide leaked
Chris says he was arrested in Nigeria but never charged over his romance scams – and he knows others who have “served a while.”
None of the money has been returned to his victims, but he insists he is now “living the good life” after the American woman introduced him to Social Catfish, a company that helps identify scammers by verifying online identities through reverse lookup technology. Chris now works as a consultant for the company.
Since turning his back on a life of crime, he said he has leaked a 40-page step-by-step guide titled “How to Make a White Woman Fall in Love with You From Online Chat” which is used by scammers.
Chris says the guide includes tips on pulling off romance scams. Photo: Social Catfish
The booklet – which advises scammers to target women over 40 – explains how to conduct a search from their social media profiles, and suggests finding out “her hobbies, pets, job, passions, if she has children, her age, where she lives, what she likes etc”.
Potential scammers are asked to make an approach using the information collected or choose from a “list of 100 little lines that work every time”, including: “Life without you would be like a broken pencil… meaningless.”
There are tips for having a conversation, like using a grammar app to avoid mistakes, a series of questions to ask, and even “100 of the Best Jokes That Will Make Her Break Her Ribs” because “making a woman laugh is one of the best jokes that will make her laugh.” “One of the quickest ways to make her like you.”
The guide recommends compliments, and again there is a list of suggestions, and tells scammers to wait at least a week before asking for money, which should not be done 'directly'.
“When she asks you about your day, you can tell her it was bad,” the guide says.
“Then tell her you're broke, you're in default on your mortgage, they're going to evict you next week, and you've exhausted all means of getting money. She'll offer to give you the money herself.”
Reports of romance fraud increased by more than a fifth (22%) last year compared to 2022, according to data from Lloyds Bank, which said the average amount lost by a victim was around £7,000.
Lloyds said victims aged between 65 and 74 tended to lose more money on average, with the figure reaching more than £13,000.
Detective Constable Rebecca Mason, of Surrey Police, says people who write they are “widowed, divorced or single” on online profiles could be considered a target but “anyone can be a victim of romance scams” – and gay males are often particularly targeted. Disproportionately. .
Read more:
A romance scammer pretending to be Nicolas Cage cones a woman
The victim of a serial fraudster is demanding £750,000 back after a romance scam
Grandma takes on “cruel” romance scammers.
Victims are more likely to be male, while the highest number of people scammed in the UK last year were in their 20s, according to figures from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau.
There were more than 8,600 reports of romance scams in the UK last year, including 11 victims aged under 10 and 12 aged 90 or over, the data showed.
Romance scammers using artificial intelligence
Scammers are looking to exploit the increase in the use of dating apps in the run-up to Valentine's Day, DC Mason says.
She warns that AI technology enables fraudsters to create an entirely new identity and image.
“They can make video calls using AI technology that can make them look real,” she told Sky News.
Image: iStock
“People are now more confident to speak up and report fraud to the police. However, it is still a hugely under-reported crime.
“The change has come with online dating being more accepted than it was a few years ago.”
Romance fraud is “very common” and people could be more vulnerable to “devastating crime” as they search for friendship or romance online in the Valentine’s Day period, says Wayne Stevens, national fraud lead at the charity Victim Support.
“There is a common misconception that romance fraud — and fraud in general — only affects older adults,” he adds.
“In reality, scammers are highly skilled opportunists who take advantage of people when they are at their lowest and craving companionship, making it easy for anyone to become a victim.”
