Overview
- Jennifer Barton, 44, says six scammers posing as Alexander Ludwig, Charlie Hunnam, Nicky Byrne and Michael Ray contacted her on Instagram and Facebook over about two years.
- The impostors moved conversations to Telegram and pressed for money with stories of divorces, legal fees, robberies and contract issues, requesting cash and bitcoin.
- Payments rose to more than £250,000, including proceeds from selling her house and car; she reports receiving about £111,000 from the house sale.
- She says she realised the deception before Christmas after repeated refusals to meet, and she is now homeless in an HMO awaiting emergency housing.
- Action Fraud and the City of London Police say the report is under their analysis service, and CEL Solicitors has been instructed to try to recover funds.