A British woman who was systematically defrauded of up to £1 million in a series of devastating romance scams tragically died in a road traffic collision in Ghana, where she had travelled in a desperate attempt to recoup some of her lost fortune. The harrowing details emerged during an inquest held in Exeter, Devon, which heard how Janet Fordham's life was dismantled by criminals over a five-year period.
A Sustained and Heartbreaking Fraud
Janet Fordham, a 69-year-old retired housekeeper, was cheated out of her entire life savings and her home by fraudsters who appeared to operate from multiple countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, and Ghana. The inquest was informed that the sustained fraud occurred between 2017 and 2022, with Fordham estimated to have sent between £800,000 and £1 million to the scammers. In order to meet their demands, she was forced to sell her property and land, eventually residing in a caravan in Devon.
The Descent into Multiple Scams
According to testimony from her daughter-in-law, Melanie Fordham, the ordeal began in 2017 when Janet started using online dating websites. She encountered a man purporting to be a British army sergeant major stationed in Syria, who claimed he required her assistance to transport gold bars back to the United Kingdom. "He was retiring soon to return to the UK," Melanie Fordham recounted. "She said they were in love and they were going to buy a house together. I remember saying to her that it all seemed a little unbelievable, and the next thing he would be asking for money. I told her categorically not to send him any." Despite these warnings, it is believed that Janet Fordham transferred approximately £150,000 to this individual.
Subsequently, she fell victim to another fraudster who posed as a diplomat. "I think she realised that she had been scammed, but initially struggled to accept it," Melanie Fordham explained. The family remains unclear about how Janet transitioned from one fraudulent scheme to the next. She utilised various methods to send money, including bank transfers, wire transfers conducted at post offices, and potentially through a travel agent.
The Fatal Journey to Ghana
The inquest heard that Fordham was later contacted by a man in Ghana known as Kofi, who asserted he was a doctor. He claimed to have discovered she was being scammed while working part-time in a phone shop, where he came across her details. Kofi promised to help her recover her money, leading Fordham to fly to Accra in October 2022.
Melanie Fordham expressed the family's helplessness in preventing the trip. "I spoke to her doctor, sought legal advice, but because she was of sound mind, albeit brainwashed, she was deemed to have capacity and there was nothing we could do. She travelled with the intention and in the belief that she could retrieve some or all of that money." The relationship with Kofi reportedly evolved into a romance, and Fordham agreed to marry him.
The Tragic Road Traffic Collision
On Valentine's Day in 2023, Kofi was driving Fordham to meet a family member to discuss their impending marriage when the vehicle swerved and flipped onto its roof. Tragically, Janet Fordham was not wearing a seatbelt and sustained fatal injuries. Devon and Cornwall police concluded that no third party was involved in the crash, and the man admitted to a driving offence.
Police Efforts and Coroner's Conclusions
Detective Sergeant Ben Smith informed the inquest that Fordham had been the victim of a "sustained fraud" and that police had repeatedly attempted to persuade her to cease contact with the criminals and stop sending money. "Police throughout these investigations have endeavoured to do everything they can to persuade Janet not to have any contact with the criminals and not to hand over money," he stated.
Senior coroner Philip Spinney noted that there were "some inconsistencies and gaps in the evidence" regarding the crash and that the incident had not been rigorously scrutinised. He concluded, "I conclude that Janet Fordham died as a consequence of a head injury that was probably sustained in a road traffic collision."
This case underscores the devastating impact of romance fraud and the challenges faced by families and authorities when victims, though of sound mind, are manipulated into financial ruin and dangerous situations.
