A mother of two has been left homeless after surrendering £250,000 to Instagram fraudsters impersonating celebrities including Alexander Ludwig, Charlie Hunnam and singer Michael Ray. Jennifer Barton, 44, from Kidderminster, Worcestershire, sold her house and car over two years as six con artists wove a web of lies.
The ordeal began when an account posing as Vikings actor Alexander Ludwig contacted her. Within a month, the scammer asked for £3,000 for court fees. Over a year, she transferred £6,000 in cash and £6,000 in Bitcoin. Another impersonator later claimed to be a second Ludwig trying to catch the first, defrauding her of over £100,000.
The most devastating blow came from a scammer pretending to be US singer Michael Ray, who pressured her to sell everything she owned. 'He said he would send £140,000, but instead drained my finances,' she said. 'I sold the house for £111,000, and the vast majority went on him.' She fell for excuses about divorces, arrests, and being robbed in London.
Ms Barton, an NHS employee, now lives in an HMO awaiting emergency housing. She realised the truth before Christmas when the fraudster refused to meet. 'There was an addictiveness—when someone gives you attention, even if it's a scammer, it's nice,' she said. Action Fraud is assessing her case.
