UK Widow Loses £1M in Romance Scam, Dies in Accident After Trip to Ghana

The tragic story of a British widow who lost nearly £1 million in an alleged romance scam has resurfaced following renewed public interest in a court case involving suspected Ghanaian fraudster Abu Trica.

The late Janet Fordham, a 69-year-old British national, reportedly travelled to Ghana in a desperate attempt to recover her life savings after falling victim to an elaborate online romance scam.

Mrs Fordham’s ordeal reportedly began in 2017 when she joined online dating platforms and met a man who claimed to be a British Army sergeant major deployed in Syria.

Over time, she was allegedly convinced to send large sums of money to the fraudster under the false pretext of helping him recover gold bars and secure funds.

According to family accounts, she is believed to have lost between £800,000 and £1 million through multiple bank transfers and bitcoin payments over several years.

The inquest into her circumstances revealed that Mrs Fordham fell victim to several online fraud schemes over a period of five years.

She reportedly sold her home and family land, spent her savings, and eventually moved into a caravan with her son after her financial situation collapsed.

She was also said to have withdrawn daily cash limits and had her ATM card taken away in an attempt to prevent further withdrawals.


Despite repeated warnings from family members and police engagements in 2017, 2020, and 2022, she allegedly continued to communicate with scammers and refused to fully cooperate with police investigators.

In a final attempt to recover her money after having noticed she had been a victim of a romance scam, Mrs Fordham travelled to Ghana after being contacted by a man identified as Kofi, who allegedly promised to help her trace the fraudsters and retrieve her funds.

Reports indicate that she developed a romantic relationship with him and was on her way to meet his family when the pair were involved in a fatal car crash on February 14, 2023.

She reportedly suffered severe injuries and died at the age of 69. Her story has regained attention amid growing discussions around romance fraud cases, particularly in light of the ongoing trial involving social media personality Frederick Kumi, popularly known as Abu Trica.

Abu Trica is currently facing allegations of involvement in a suspected romance scam worth an estimated $1 million, with authorities reportedly pursuing extradition efforts to have him stand trial in the United States.

The resurfacing of Mrs Fordham’s case has reignited conversations about the devastating impact of online romance scams and the global nature of such fraudulent networks.