A British charity worker has revealed how he was scammed out of most of his life savings after a fake wedding in Ukraine. James, 52, believed he was marrying his Ukrainian fiancée Irina, 32, in Odessa in July 2017, but the ceremony was a fraud orchestrated by the couple's wedding planner.
James had been working in Ukraine since 2015, helping children affected by the conflict in the east. He met Irina through a translator and they quickly became engaged. The wedding took place at the Villa Otrada restaurant on the Black Sea coast, with 60 guests in attendance. However, by midnight James was in hospital, having been given a spiked drink. He later discovered that the wedding was not legally binding and that the wedding planner had married him instead.
James lost approximately £18,000 ($25,000) in the scam, which included payments for the wedding and gifts. He has since tried to seek justice through Ukraine's legal system but has been met with indifference. Private investigator Robert Papinyan, a former policeman, has been hired to recover the money using what he describes as 'psychological methods'.
The case highlights the risks of Ukraine's 'dating' industry, where Western men often meet younger Ukrainian women. Ukraine has an average monthly wage of about $350 (£247), and the industry ranges from email services to 'romance tours'. James has not told his family about the scam due to embarrassment.
The BBC verified James's account using bank documents, official records, text messages, and interviews with those involved. The story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of international romance scams.
