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An inquest in Exeter has revealed the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of Janet Fordham, a British woman who lost nearly £1 million to a series of romance scams over five years. Fordham, 69, perished in a car accident in Ghana while pursuing the promise of recovering her lost funds from a man she believed could assist her. The inquest highlighted the devastating impact of fraud, particularly on vulnerable individuals, and the challenges faced by families attempting to intervene.
A Victim of Deceptive Romance Scams
Janet Fordham’s journey into the world of scams began in 2017 when she started using online dating platforms. According to her family, she became involved with a man who posed as a British army sergeant stationed in Syria. The man claimed he needed her help to transport gold bars to the UK, leading her to believe they were in love and planning a future together. Despite warnings from her daughter-in-law, Melanie Fordham, Janet reportedly sent approximately £150,000 to this fraudster.
The inquest disclosed that Fordham subsequently fell victim to another scam involving a man who claimed to be a diplomat. It appeared that she struggled to come to terms with the reality of her situation, transitioning from one fraud to another. Her financial losses were extensive; Fordham ended up selling her home and property, ultimately residing in a caravan in Devon.
The Descent into Despair
In what would tragically be her final attempt to reclaim her lost fortune, Fordham was contacted by a man in Ghana named Kofi. He claimed to be a doctor who stumbled upon her details while working part-time in a phone shop. Kofi promised to assist her in recovering her money, prompting Fordham to travel to Accra in October 2022, driven by hope and desperation.
Despite concerns raised by her family and even consultations with her doctor, Janet was deemed to have the mental capacity to make her own decisions. Unfortunately, this determination did little to protect her from further exploitation, as she developed a relationship with Kofi that escalated to a marriage proposal.
A Fatal Journey
On Valentine’s Day 2023, Kofi was driving Fordham to meet a family member when the vehicle swerved off the road and overturned. Tragically, she was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident and sustained fatal injuries. Investigations by Devon and Cornwall police concluded that no third party was involved, although Kofi later admitted to a driving offence.
Detective Sergeant Ben Smith, who was involved in the investigation, stated that Fordham had been a victim of a sustained fraud operation and had lost an estimated total of £800,000 to £1 million. He noted that police had made numerous attempts to dissuade her from continuing to send money to scammers