Nigel Baker received a 17-year prison sentence from a Snaresbrook Crown Court (London) judge on 16/12, marking what is believed to be the longest sentence for romance fraud in the UK.

Baker, a father of two from Essex, defrauded five women, including a police officer and a successful businesswoman, stealing GBP 900,000. His criminal activities spanned eight years, from 2012 to 2020. At one point, Baker was involved with three women concurrently.

Baker targeted divorced single mothers on dating apps. He presented himself as a divorced, successful businessman, vulnerable and family-oriented, seeking a special woman as a life partner. He consistently promised each woman marriage or a long-term cohabitation to build a future together. His objective was to exploit their trust for financial gain.

Nigel Baker looking smart upon arriving at court. *Photo: SWNS*

Prosecutors accused Baker, a gambling addict, of encouraging women to take out loans up to GBP 200,000 and sell their homes to invest in his betting operations.

Baker falsely claimed to be an online bookmaker, asserting he could earn money for their shared future if they gave him funds to "trade" on betting platforms, promising "risk-free" returns.

Records showed that a betting account, established and funded by a victim who was a successful businesswoman but used by Baker, lost nearly GBP 4 million.

Victims testified in court that Baker frequently requested money using various excuses, such as lacking funds to support his children, needing to repair his father's boiler, or even to pay for medical treatment for his pet dog. One victim stated that Baker once claimed a London gang would kill him if she did not transfer GBP 50,000 to him.

Although the money provided was understood to be loans, not gifts, victims never recovered their funds. Baker frequently threatened to end relationships if they could not provide more money. When his "prey" ran out of funds, Baker would abandon them and seek new victims on dating apps.

A divorced police officer struggled to hold back tears while describing feeling "ashamed, disgusted, and exploited" after giving Baker nearly GBP 80,000. She told the court, "What I believed was love and connection turned out to be manipulation and deceit for financial gain."

Several other victims also reported Baker, but their accusations were not presented at his fraud trial. The total amount lost by victims far exceeded GBP 1 million.

Baker was convicted of 18 counts of fraud by false representation after a month-long trial earlier this year.

By Tue Anh (According to Metro, The Sun)