Serial romance fraudster who scammed victims out of £320,000 sentenced to 12 years in prison

A man who scammed four women he met on an online dating website out of more than £320,000 has been jailed for 12 years.

Emmanuel Scotts, 55, previously of Fulham, London, was found guilty of four counts of fraud by false representation following an eight-week-long trial, having previously pleaded guilty to one count of possessing articles for use in fraud. He was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment at Kingston Crown Court on 25 November 2022.

He was brought to justice following an investigation by the Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU), a specialist police unit made up of officers from the City of London Police and Metropolitan Police Service, and funded by the banking and finance industry.

Acting Detective Chief Inspector David Vint, from the City of London Police and head of the DCPCU, said:

“Scotts callously targeted innocent people with romance scams to fund his lifestyle, having no regard for the emotional, psychological and financial impact it would have on them.

“Our officers carried out a tenacious investigation and were able to identify Scotts as the perpetrator and secure charges against him. This is a stark warning to romance fraudsters: we will find you and ensure you are brought to justice.

“We would always urge the public to follow the advice of the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign and always avoid sending money to someone you’ve never met in person, particularly if you have only recently met online.”

Scotts befriended several women on an internet dating site and, after gaining their trust, he persuaded them to “invest” savings and returning small sums of “interest” to extract more money.

The reality was that Scotts was manipulating the victims to fund his own lifestyle.

In total, the four victims lost a total of £324,083, with one victim losing £232,969.

Metropolitan Police Service Detective Inspector Andrew Little, from the DCPCU, said:

“Scotts preyed on the emotions of his victims to gain their trust and several victims genuinely believed they were in a meaningful relationship with him.

“Romance fraud is a despicable crime and we hope that the sentence handed down goes some way to helping the victims rebuild their lives and relationships with others.”

The fraud was referred to the DCPCU and following a full investigation and lengthy trial, Scotts was found guilty on 3 November 2022.

During sentencing, Scotts was described as “a career fraudster”. 

Confiscation proceedings are ongoing.