A chef who was scammed out of his life savings after falling victim to a romance scam has issued an urgent warning to others.
Alexandr Gutu, who lives in Matlock, Derbyshire, was conned out of £42,000 by someone who tricked him into thinking they were in a relationship.
The 33-year-old, originally from Moldova, had been working up to 320 hours a month at his two jobs to save enough money to buy his first home.
He began searching for a girlfriend on dating websites in a bid to find the "one" and within days, started talking to someone who claimed to be a woman.
The person, who was likely using a fake picture and fake identity, began chatting to Alexandr on WhatsApp, reports Derbyshire Live.
He said: "We had conversations about life, family, and the future. One day she asked me about my plans for the future and I answered that I want to buy a house in England.
"She said that she had an uncle who worked at a big European company and does some trading and could help provide me with some help with extra income because I lost my hours [at my job]."
Alexandr then started speaking to the woman’s "uncle" who convinced him to set up a cryptocurrency account.
After the account was set up in Alexandr's name, he transferred a small amount of money into the account through cryptocurrency.
But soon after requesting some of his money back, the scammers deleted the WhatsApp account and disappeared with his money.
He said: "Now without my savings, I can't buy a house, I can't create a family, I'm always working.
“I wanted to find a girlfriend instead found a scam. I worked out that it will take me two years of working every day to earn the money back.”
As well as buying a new house, he had also hoped to be able to relocate his parents from Moldova, near the Ukrainian border, to the UK.
His father has recently suffered a stroke and is disabled and Alexandr was planning on helping cover the costs of a new chair for him.
Alexandr added: "I, myself, feel guilty, I was trying to find a girlfriend and was trusting. I did these payments."
The incident has been reported to Action Fraud and Derbyshire Police who have referred Alexandr to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Alexandr said his bank has not been able to refund him and has recommended he try and contact the cryptocurrency exchange he was using when scammed.
Alexandr had fallen victim to a romance scam, which where a fraudster adopts a fake identity online to gain your trust to form a relationship with you.
Once they have gained your trust, they then normally start asking for money or your personal details to then scam you.
Romance scams increased by 30% last year, and victims lost £8,234 on average, according to new research from Lloyds Bank.
What to do if you think you’ve been scammed
If you think a scammer has got hold of your bank details, contact your bank straight away.
You can call the 159 hotline, which will connect you to your bank.
Passwords that have been leaked or compromised should be changed immediately.
Make sure you report scams and fraud to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040, or through the Action Fraud website.
If you're in Scotland, report a scam through Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000 or on the Advice Direct Scotland website.
You can also report scams to Police Scotland on 101.
