‘I Lost £85K to a Romance Scam – Banks Must Do More,’ Says Rodrick Lodge
Rodrick Lodge, a widower who lost £85,000 to a romance scam involving a woman who never existed, has called on banks to strengthen their efforts in protecting vulnerable individuals from fraud.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr. Lodge revealed he was left homeless after transferring his entire life savings to someone claiming to be “Anita” – a person he met online and developed a relationship with.
The 69-year-old, who was living in Leiston, Suffolk, had fallen in love for the first time since the passing of his wife Pauline in 2019.
He acknowledged that any hope of recovering the funds had “gone out of the window.” One of the banks involved, Halifax, said it had “a great deal of sympathy” for Mr. Lodge but noted that he had been warned multiple times about the transactions.
Now living in shared accommodation in Staines-upon-Thames, the former United Nations employee said he believes both Halifax and Charter Savings Bank failed to adequately protect him.
“They said it was my fault and I know I did do a stupid thing but I am a victim and they did not protect me enough.
“I can’t believe how awful the banks are to people, and I don’t think they put enough barriers in place to stop scammers and prevent fraud.”
Mr. Lodge, who previously resided in Surrey, was first introduced to “Anita” by a friend he had met in person three years earlier during his work in Kenya.
After forming what appeared to be a genuine romantic connection online, he agreed to relocate to Nairobi with the intention of marrying her. He began transferring money to help her prepare their future home together.
However, upon his arrival in Kenya, “Anita” was nowhere to be found.
With his retirement savings completely depleted, Mr. Lodge was forced to spend six weeks living on the streets and in temporary shelters in Guildford and Woking.
He now relies solely on his monthly pension to pay rent and admits that most months, he considers himself “lucky” if he has £20 left after covering basic expenses.
“I’ve got nothing, I’ve got nobody, I’ve got zero,” he said. “So my quality of life is pretty poor, and my future looks pretty poor. I’ve got no future.
“But I can’t think about it because I just get too upset and if I can’t do something to change things then what’s the point?
“I just have to think about being healthy and positive but that’s not easy.”
A Halifax spokesperson said: “We have a great deal of sympathy for Mr Lodge as a victim of a romance scam as these are cruel scams which take advantage of people’s feelings.
“Our advice is to never send money to someone you haven’t met in real life and to always listen to advice or warnings about scams from your bank.”
Charter Savings Bank has been contacted for comment.
