A British woman, tragically caught in a web of international fraud, lost her life in a car accident in Ghana while attempting to reclaim her lost savings, an inquest in Devon revealed. The retired housekeeper, Janet Fordham, aged 69, had fallen victim to multiple scams over five years, losing nearly £1 million. Her journey to Ghana was prompted by a man who promised to help recover her funds but ended in fatality when the vehicle she was in overturned.
Fordham’s ordeal began in 2017, initiated by online dating scams. She was deceived by individuals posing as army personnel and diplomats, among others, spanning across the UK, Germany, the US, and Ghana. Despite family warnings, she continued to send money, convinced by false promises of love and partnership.
Her daughter-in-law, Melanie Fordham, recounted Janet’s unfortunate entanglement with a supposed British army sergeant major claiming to need her assistance to transport gold bars to the UK. Despite skepticism from her family, Janet reportedly sent over £150,000.
In a desperate bid to reclaim her lost wealth, Fordham was contacted by a man in Ghana, known as Kofi, who claimed to have stumbled upon her details and offered assistance. Despite attempts from her family and legal advice to dissuade her, Fordham traveled to Accra in October 2022, hopeful for a resolution.
The relationship with Kofi evolved into a romantic engagement, with plans to marry. Tragically, on Valentine’s Day 2023, while being driven to a family meeting, the car swerved and overturned, leading to Fordham’s death from head injuries. An inquest confirmed no third-party involvement, attributing the crash to a driving offense admitted by Kofi.
Detective Sergeant Ben Smith described Fordham as a victim of prolonged fraud, estimating her financial losses between £800,000 and £1 million. Despite police efforts to intervene, Fordham’s trust in the scammers persisted. Coroner Philip Spinney noted some inconsistencies in the evidence surrounding the crash, concluding her death resulted from the collision.
