For Love or Money

Barbara has sold her home and downsized to a caravan to keep the men in her life happy. Initially she was speaking to Frank Wadsworth, whose chaotic life in Ghana saw Barbara send him over £150,000 to help out. Then, out of the blue, she was contacted by Danny, who claimed to be a different man but over time has taken another six-figure sum from Barbara. Kym and Ashley want to draw a line under this horrific chapter in Barbara's life.

Melo Brand wasn't looking for love when she joined an investment forum, but when she made a fortune in cryptocurrency, the mentor she'd met online, Sujon, began asking for financial assistance for himself, and Melo ended up thousands of pounds out of pocket. Now she's seeking the truth about Sujon and whether she's ever likely to see a return on her investment.

Also, June Edwards was approached on social media by a man calling himself Bruce Graham Wallace. Bruce has taken a huge amount of money from June, and private investigator Laura Lyons is worried that June is being taken for a ride by someone claiming he can help her track her money.

Dianne met Larry on social media during lockdown and credits him with saving her life. But her family are suspicious of Larry, as he has taken more than £36,000 from Dianne despite never being able to come to the UK to meet her. Ashley and Kym suspect they are dealing with a scammer and pull out all the stops to get Dianne the truth.

Also, we hear how the National Crime Agency caught and imprisoned a prolific romance fraudster right here in the UK, and we hear from the daughter of one of his victims.

Pat Holt was separated and looking for a companion to go on holiday with. When she met Tim Hall online, he seemed like the perfect gentleman. But when Tim's business trip to India ran into difficulties, he asked Pat for financial support, and now she is £50,000 worse off and wants to know who is really behind the man calling himself Tim.

Ann Larkin made an unlikely friend on an online photography group, but the sum she lost to him is truly eye watering. And Steven made a trip to America to meet his online beau Jennifer, but after six hours at a bus stop, he realised she had not been honest with him.

Norman met Michael via a dating site. After getting to know each other, Michael told Norman he was in line for a big inheritance but needed Norman's financial support to access it. Now Norman wants to find out if Michael is the real deal, and Kym and Ashley are helping him get to the truth.

Meanwhile, DC Mason is tracking a suspected romance fraudster right here in the UK and is about to pounce with an early-morning raid.

Michelle was recently divorced when she met Michael on a dating site. He appeared to be a wealthy and successful businessman, but he said he needed Michelle's financial backing when he found himself in a tight spot overseas. The money Michelle sent him soon began to add up, and now she's worried she won't ever see her £50,000 again. Kym and Ashley want to find out who is really behind the man in the photos.

Also, Eva met Jesse on a dating app, but after sparks failed to fly he suggested they invest in cryptocurrency together instead. Eva now fears she won't see her investment again. And when Christine met a partner on a Christian dating site, she thought the relationship was God's will - but the money she lost suggests it was anything but.

David's wife of 52 years died in his arms, and after grieving for a number of months he met Louisa on social media and formed a bond. The relationship was still in its early stages when Louisa asked for help with payment for her mother's medication. David acted quickly and got in touch with Kym and Ashley, who want to find out more about Louisa to make sure David isn't getting ripped off.

Also, Rachel lost a six-figure sum to a man calling himself Barrio, who claimed to be in the clutches of Russian gangsters. Meanwhile, Simon Cole tells us what it's like to be an innocent party having your identity stolen by romance fraudsters.

Debbie was willing to choose Daniel over her own family as their relationship grew closer, but when he failed to turn up for their first face-to-face meeting at Leeds Bradford Airport, she knew something wasn't right. Now she wants Kym and Ashley to bring her some much-needed closure and find out who exactly he is.

We also hear what life is like for Christian a year after he learned he had been scammed in our previous series, and we look at the latest trend in romance fraud - sextortion - and speak to the team fighting back against this cruel new method of blackmail.

Gill noticed a comment on her social media from a handsome doctor and began to get to know him better. She even sent him some Amazon cards as gifts for his son. Soon plans were made for Gill to move to the USA to live with him, and Gill sent him £3,000 for a visa. Then things went quiet. Since then, Gill has received numerous friend requests from people with the same photos but different names, and she wants to know if she's being targeted.

Also, Maria needed her friends' money to help a man she believed was caught up in a construction accident in South Africa, but now realizes the man she loved wasn't real. And Viv has found love in real life after the horror of being scammed.

Susan met Brook playing an online scrabble game, and despite handing him over £17,000 after a series of remarkable events happened to him, she's still wondering whether he might be the real deal. Kym and Ash are quick to investigate and get to the bottom of this international man of mystery.

Also, Clare tells us how she fell for a man with the looks of a model, before realising it was all a fraud. And we look back on the emerging trends in the world of romance fraud that we have learned about from the cases in this series.