Fraudster posing as Nicolas Cage scams £10k out of ‘lover’ who thought she was chatting to Hollywood star on Facebook | #datingscams | #lovescams | #facebookscams


A FRAUDSTER posing as Nicolas Cage scammed £10,000 out of a woman who thought she was in a relationship with the Hollywood star.

The woman was led to believe she was chatting with renowned actor on Facebook – with the trickster behind the account claiming Cage needed cash for “tax reasons”.

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A fraudster pretending to be actor Nicolas Cage scammed a woman about of £10,000

According to charity Victim Support, the victim was told by the fraudster purporting as Cage that he planned to visit the UK while urging her to keep their relationship “on the low down”.

She then handed over around £10,000 to the scammer.

Lisa Mills, senior fraud manager at the charity, told Sky News the victim was vulnerable and she “could ill-afford to lose” the money.

Police are not thought to have caught the fraudster pretending to be Cage yet.

It comes as almost 9,000 cases of romance fraud were reported in the UK last year – a jump of 27 per cent from 2020, police figures show.

But it’s feared that true number could be much higher as many victims feel embarrassed to speak up.

Ms Mills said another person was duped by a fraudster pretending to be Prison Break star Wentworth Miller.

“I think it’s hard to convey to wider society – people just scoff and think ‘I wouldn’t be taken in by that’,” she told Sky.

“It’s real, it’s happening and we have to support people who have gone through it.

“It’s more common than people think unfortunately.”

She warned potential victims that scammers posing as celebrities look through their followers to target their fans.

Ms Mills added: “Now the dating websites and apps are doing their upmost to protect their users, fraudsters have to look for alternative means.

“They can go through Facebook or Instagram, sending out random requests in the hope that people pick up and they can start drawing victims into their web.”

It comes after a mum, 50, from Winsford, Cheshire, was conned out of £500 by a romance scammer which plunged her into debt for months due to living “hand to mouth” with her four dogs.

Using a fake name, Jack Miller, 45, invented a heartbreaking backstory about being a single dad to Henry, 12, after his wife died from cancer and quickly confessed he “was in love” with divorcee Claire Spencer online.

She sent him money after multiple pleas for help from ‘hotel builder’ Jack, who claimed to be stranded in Cambodia and unable to afford food because he lost his wallet.

Claire told The Sun: “When I realised it was a romance scam, I wanted to throw up and felt humiliated. 

“I wanted to cry but physically couldn’t, I felt violated and embarrassed. It took about five weeks for me to smile again.”

If you have been affected by a romance scam, contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or visit: www.actionfraud.police.uk

You can also contact The Society of Citizens Against Romance Scams (SCARS) via: www.romancescamsnow.com.

Romance scam red flag checklist

DATING expert Tina Wilson explains that “it’s essential to have your wits about you”.

Scammers have developed devious hacks that can cloud a person’s judgement and “trick singletons into sending money”.

If you suspect something is off try Google reverse searching their images to see if they are used on other dating sites or under other names

Tina, founder of Wingman, reveals the immediate red flags you should keep an eye out for.

  • ‘Lovebombing’ you with ultimate attention to detail
  • Avoiding meeting up or video calling and making excuses to stick to messages
  • Having no friends or family
  • Moving away from the dating platform fast to carry on the conversation on another platform. If they are pushy about this be wary.
  • Emotional back story that leaves you feeling sorry for them immediately
  • Disliking all social media and if they do have an account, it will be very basic and not share personal information
  • Asking money for an emergency or making you feel guilty if you don’t do as they ask
  • Asking for money for home repairs, travel, medical expenses or to pay off a debt – such as a credit card
  • If you suspect something is off try Google reverse searching their images to see if they are used on other dating sites or under other names





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