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Widow died in Ghana crash after losing up to £1m in romance frauds, inquest hears
Police said Janet Fordham lost up to £1 million to scams before traveling to meet a man in Ghana, where she later died in a crash.
- Janet Fordham, a 69-year-old British widow, died in a road collision in Ghana on February 14, 2023, after losing an estimated £1 million to online romance scams over five years, an inquest at Devon Coroners Court revealed.
- Starting in 2017, Fordham fell victim to frauds including a man posing as a British Army sergeant major working in Syria who needed her help to get gold bars to the UK. Detective Sergeant Ben Smith of Devon and Cornwall Police said officers had contact with her about fraud allegations in 2017, 2020 and 2022.
- In October 2022, Fordham traveled to Ghana to meet Kofi, a man claiming to be a doctor. On February 14, 2023, driving from Accra to the Oti region to seek marriage approval, their silver Suzuki flipped on the Akosombo road, causing her fatal injuries.
- Kofi later pleaded guilty to driving offences and received a suspended prison sentence and fine, the court heard. Det Sgt Smith confirmed there was no evidence of third-party involvement in Fordham's death.
- The scams left Fordham destitute, forcing her to live in a caravan at her son Martin's home in Honiton, Devon, before her fatal trip. Investigations suggest she lost between £800,000 and £1 million, including her life savings and home.
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The sentimental scam cost the life of a 69-year-old Britishman. After losing nearly a million pounds, Janet Fordham flew away to Ghana, hoping to get her money back. She never came back.
Janet Fordham, 69, went to Ghana to try to recover some of the money that was swindled to her. She was killed in a car accident, driven by the man who promised to help her.
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources18
Leaning Left3Leaning Right4Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution40% Right
Bias Distribution
- 40% of the sources lean Right
40% Right
L 30%
C 30%
R 40%
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