London, Britain – British national Nigel Baker, 56, was sentenced to 17 years in prison by Snaresbrook Crown Court after being convicted of one of the biggest cases of emotional fraud in British history.
He managed to deceive five women and steal more than £900,000 from them,
using fake romantic relationships as a means of financial fraud.
The case details revealed that Baker was impersonating
a successful businessman on dating apps, targeting divorced women.
He deceived them with the promise of a serious love relationship and a shared future,
before convincing them to deplete their savings, sell their homes, and take out loans.
Some of them were worth up to £200,000, purportedly for investment in a “risk-free” betting business.
shocking details
During the trial, the jury heard shocking details about the promises Baker made to his victims.
This included financial stability and building a shared life,
while he was systematically taking everything they owned.
Judge Charles Falk confirmed that the total losses exceeded £900,000.
Describing the accused as a “complete fraudster” who exploited
the trust of his victims “cruelly and coldly”.
The judge noted that none of the money had been returned to the victims.
It turned out that Baker spent it all on gambling activities,
which led to the destruction of the financial and personal lives of his victims.
the longest sentence
According to legal estimates, this sentence is the longest sentence
ever handed down in the United Kingdom for cases of emotional fraud.
In a clear message about the seriousness of this type of crime, and the need to toughen penalties,
This applies to those who exploit trust and human emotions to achieve illicit gains.
The case has once again highlighted the dangers of online fraud
and dating apps, with growing calls for increased public awareness.
Raising the levels of legal protection for victims, especially women
who are most vulnerable to this type of crime.
