A disabled man, Ben McEvansoneya, 36, has reported being defrauded of £10,000 by a scammer posing as his ‘celebrity crush’, adult film star Nicolette Shea. He started receiving Instagram messages from the impersonator while feeling lonely after a recent break-up.

Ben, who had his right arm and both feet amputated due to meningitis and septicemia, engaged in conversations with the fake Nicolette about a possible relationship. The scammer even mentioned wanting to move to the UK to be with Ben.

After a few months, the fraudster began requesting money for supposed funeral arrangements after claiming her father had passed away. Ben, relying on his disability benefits, sent around £200 each month and additional one-off payments, totaling £10,000 over a year.

Noticing "red flags," Ben eventually ceased communication with the scammer. He reported the incident to the police but has not recovered his lost funds.

Catfishing, the act of luring someone into a relationship using a fake online identity, affected Ben deeply. He stated, "I feel humiliated by it now but at the time I thought it was real. I guess I was just naive."

He described the emotional toll and financial struggle, saying, "I'm disabled and rely on benefits... I actually had a nervous breakdown." Despite the distress caused by the scam, he hoped to help others from falling victim by sharing his experience.

Ben and the scammer communicated for about a year, but when he requested phone or video calls, the scammer always had an excuse. His suspicions grew after encountering articles about similar scams online. He moved from Bradford back to Taunton to escape the stress.

When confronting the scammer, Ben found her to be dismissive, and the police informed him that romance and celebrity scams are frequent, particularly targeting vulnerable individuals.

Despite feeling embarrassed, Ben wishes to raise awareness about scams: "There are tell-tale signs like refusing to have a video call or asking for money. These are all red flags... I just didn't notice them at the time."