'Streetwise' victim's shame over £200,000 online scam

A man who lost £200,000 on a investment scam has spoken how his "shame and embarrassment" led to depression.

The "streetwise" man, who is remaining anonymous, was contacted by a woman who claimed she needed money to release gold held by a bank.

He was so convinced, he overruled the concerns of banks and money transfer companies, eventually losing his job, pension, savings and share in a house.

Nottinghamshire Police said the best defence was to educate internet users.

The victim - called 'Simon' - said: "It might seem obvious but it's honestly such an easy trap to fall into.

"I thought I was pretty streetwise before but there's a team of people there that prey on people either through romance or like me - I was just willing to help and it seemed like a really professional outfit."

After months of chatting online to a woman called 'Dora', she mentioned issues with getting her dead father's gold out of Ghana.

Simon said: "I had a Skype, face to face, talk with police, with this South African guy in his office and he was showing me gold bullion.

"He said 'This is Dora's gold, we just need to get the loose ends tied up'."

Requests for £4,000 were followed by demands to process the bars and even medical bills for Dora.

A Ghanian bank once returned £35,000, saying it was suspicious and two money transfer companies refused to handle the payments.

Simon said he was bombarded with messages: "I was chasing the money. I was trying to catch the money I had already put in."

He realised what was happening after a 'tax' bill for £380,000: "I was plunged into depression, I can fully understand how people can take their own lives."

Nottinghamshire Police said Simon's case highlighted sophisticated online fraud, with the basic message of "If someone you've never met asks you for money, don't give it to them".