Man jailed for £11k romance fraud scam

A man has been jailed for two years over a romance fraud in which he scammed his victim out of £11,000.

Andrew Cosham, 57, of Milne Way, Isle of Wight appeared at Hove Crown Court on Monday, where a restraining order was also imposed preventing him from being in direct or indirect contact with his victim.

During their relationship, which lasted just under three years, police said Cosham made false promises that they would get married and buy a house together once his bank account containing £3 million had been unfrozen when a divorce appeal was finalised.

The couple viewed multiple houses, and the victim even paid for the survey of one property, Sussex Police said.

However, Cosham would always claim there were issues with the houses and they would have to look for another.

Cosham lied to the victim about needing money to repay council tax, and he claimed to have debts with a storage company and with his phone provider, police said.

He also told her lies about needing money to help his sister who was in poor health.

"Using his elderly sister's bank account to obtain the money from the victim he would withdraw large sums to spend on other things," a police spokesperson said.

"[His sister] was not involved with the offending," they added.

Cosham convinced the victim to give him over £11,000 all under the guise of consistently promising to pay her back once his bank account was unfrozen.

He ghosted her and never repaid the money, police said.

Cosham's victim reported the fraud to police in September 2022, and he was arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation in November 2023.

He was charged with the same offence on 29 September 2025 and pleaded guilty at Worthing Magistrates' Court the following month.

Det Sgt Rodney Davis said: "Romance fraud is a particularly cruel offence.

"The financial loss can have lasting consequences, but the emotional impact from the extensive manipulation by fraudsters can be truly devastating."

He stressed: "Romance fraud is never the victim's fault."

According to Action Fraud, signs of romance fraud include a person being secretive about their relationship or becoming hostile or angry when asked about their online partner.

They may have sent, or be planning to send, money to someone they have never met in person.

Advice for protecting yourself against scams includes:

• Be suspicious of any requests for money from someone you have never met in person, particularly if you have only recently met online

• Speak to your family or friends to get advice

• Profile photos may not be genuine, so do your research first. Performing a reverse image search using a search engine can help you find photos that have been stolen from somewhere else

Advice for supporting a victim of a scam includes:

• Reassure your loved one you are there for them and it is not their fault

• Improve your own understanding about romance scams

• Remember to look after yourself, too - supporting someone through romance fraud can be tough

Source: Action Fraud / Victim Support

• Further support can be found via BBC Action Line.

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