Web love quest man loses £16,000
‘A lonely man is £16,000 poorer after sending money overseas to two women he fell in love with over the internet, in the hope they would join him in the UK. [..]
Mr Hodgkinson, who is a full-time carer for his 86-year-old mother, turned to online dating after he became fed up with being single. [..]
He first struck up a relationship with Natalia, from Russia, who he met through a dating website. [..]
He sent her more than £10,000 to pay for her travel and a visa so she could be with him.
He went to meet her at Heathrow Airport four times, but she never arrived. [..]
His mother, Constance, has been forced to take out a loan to help repay his debts.
“I did tell him off about keeping going to Heathrow,” she said.’