Clive, a 67-year-old poet from Portsmouth, Hampshire is one of the latest victims of an online romance scam. He had been in a year-long, long-distance relationship with someone he believed to be another Wigan Athletic fan known as ‘Sophie’. Clive’s interaction with the scammer began on Facebook, where ‘Sophie’ first approached him. Clive had been in a 16-year relationship with Sarah, but no longer felt the same way. He soon felt himself attracted to ‘Sophie’ and began texting her every day. Throughout the course of their relationship, Clive wired over $2,700 in gift cards to ‘Sophie’. He trusted her that she really needed the money to pay for her grandmother’s health-care expenses.
Clive’s faith in the authenticity of ‘Sophie’ went farther than his financial backing. He’d only met her through photographs. He could hardly contain his excitement as he quickly purchased flights to Washington DC, the city she said she was residing in. Clive’s attitude changed completely after he saw a segment on 60 Minutes Australia about online scams. This confession was followed by the jarring realization that the man had, in effect, been duped.
“The penny dropped for him then — he was crying because he realized his love interest was no more.” – Sarah Dalgleish
Upon discovering the truth, Clive confessed to Sarah about the online relationship and the money he had sent to ‘Sophie’. Clive’s revelation then led him to leave the home he shared with Sarah. He packed his bags and moved back to his hometown of Portsmouth. He told the court that he was sorry for what he did and wished for Sarah’s peace and joy moving forward.
“I’ve told Sarah many times how sorry I am, and I pray one day she will meet another man she can be truly happy with.” – Clive
Clive insisted that he wasn’t looking for ‘Sophie’, but that she approached him on Facebook. Clive’s being faithful to Sarah, even though they were married. More than that, as they drifted apart over the years, he felt exposed.
“I had never been unfaithful to Sarah and we had a good marriage as a whole but we grew apart, and I think that’s why I was vulnerable to this.” – Clive
At the event, Sarah painted a vivid picture of her experience on the receiving end of the scam, including the moment she learned about Clive’s involvement.
“I’ll never forget that date that I found everything out.” – Sarah Dalgleish
Despite the emotional aftershock of the scam, Clive had spent months convinced of a future with ‘Sophie’.
“But I believed Sophie and I believed we would end up getting together further down the line.” – Clive
Sarah shared her concerns that ‘Sophie’ was not a real person and what could happen if Clive flew out to see her.
“If I thought she was a real person, I’d pay for you to go there right now, and there will be nobody to meet you there.” – Sarah Dalgleish
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