WENDY Stubbs thought that she’d met her dream man when she matched with Christian Barber on a dating site.
He was a lottery winner who owned a fleet of luxury cars and a hotel complex in Barbados, as well as a large house in the exclusive Cornish resort of Rock – or so she thought.
Wendy Stubbs thought that she’d found her dream man in Christian Barber[/caption]
But the conman was secretly draining her bank accounts[/caption]
“He was perfect,” says 58-year-old Wendy. “He was there to save me.”
She had recently divorced from her husband, and was on dating apps looking for someone to “share things with”.
Wendy was wooed by how much she had in common with Christian, as well as their shared love for holidays.
“I thought, ‘crikey, this man’s brilliant!’” she adds.
“We had some good times and we had fun… he was fun to be with.
“But looking back, he was just a mere actor.”
This string of lies was conman Christian’s way of gaining Wendy’s trust (and bank details) before swindling £20,000 out of her bank account in small increments.
She wasn’t his only victim, though.
Christian, 52, frauded at least six women out of more than £45,000 between September 2011 and March 2013.
After meeting on popular dating sites and in hotel lobbies, he would gain their trust by showing them photographs of at least eight luxury cars he supposedly owned, such as Maseratis and Porsches.
He would also pay off their credit card bills, offer help towards rent and supposedly book lavish romantic holidays.
Then, he would ‘reveal’ why he was so rich.
Christian would tell his female victims that he was a £118 Euromillions winner who wanted to check if they truly “liked him for who he is” before divulging the source of his riches.
He even went as far as to say that the lotto ticket was purchased from a petrol station.
How to spot and avoid a romance scam
Celebrity dating agent Anna Williamson shared her key tips for sniffing out a romance scammer before it goes too far…
- Is this a real person? Be suspicious if they say they can’t meet in person. Your online love interest will likely claim to live abroad, travel a lot, be in the armed forces or work for an international organization.
- Incomplete profile Scammers use fake personal data to create accounts, and their profile info is usually incomplete. If you search their name online, you’ll likely be left empty handed.
- Sketchy information Fraudsters can slip up by contradicting themselves or telling you outlandish things. Messages are often poorly written or confusing.
- Spectacular photos Scammers will often steal pictures from another profile or create ones using AI. Be wary of photos from someone you don’t know, especially if they look too touched up or like they were taken by a professional.
- They ask for money or account details Criminals will likely ask you to send them money, personal details or bank account passwords. You should never give a stranger personal information or send money.
But it was all extremely far from the truth.
Christian was in fact homeless and living out of his 2003 VW Golf.
One victim gave up her rented home, expecting they would move in together, while another ended a long-term relationship to be with him, a court heard in February 2014.
He abandoned a third victim by the roadside after convincing her that she was about to embark on the holiday of a lifetime – and then “drove off to his next victim”.
Wendy appeared on This Morning to share her experience of falling victim to a romance scam.
Wendy appeared on This Morning alongside another of Christian’s victims[/caption]
Christine Spencer was swindled out of £11,000 by the conman[/caption]
She appeared alongside another of Christian’s victims, 67-year-old Christine Spencer, who lost an eye-watering £11,000 to the conman after meeting him at a hotel check-in desk.
Just three weeks after they met in January 2012, he proposed to her and told her he wanted to invest her money in his hotel business in Barbados.
Bizarrely, he used the money he had stolen from Wendy to buy Christine’s engagement ring.
But the divorced mum-of-three smelt a rat with his story.
Christine then caught him out lying about going to a solicitor regarding the Barbados business proposal and sought independent advice on the contract he had drafted for her.
You moved from one victim to another when the money ran out. It was just a way of living for you. You set out the bait, they took the bait and you then took their money, their dignity and their self-respect
Recorder Gareth Evans QC
In February 2014, Lincoln Crown Court was told that Barber had 16 prior convictions dating back to 1993, for offences such as fraud and burglary.
Recorder Gareth Evans QC said to Christian at the trial: “You chose vulnerable victims.
“You moved from one victim to another when the money ran out. It was just a way of living for you.
“You set out the bait, they took the bait and you then took their money, their dignity and their self-respect.
“They would be left by the side of the road as you drove off to your next victim.
“It’s a beggar’s belief.”
He was jailed for 59 months after admitting eight charges of theft, three charges of fraud and a charge of making off without payment for hotel accommodation.
