West End Star Marisha Wallace has finally spoken out five years after becoming the victim of romance fraud.  Marisha appeared on This Morning on 27 August 2024 to talk about being a victim of this terrible scam.

As a young, successful woman in her thirties, Marisha wants to shed light on the fact that anyone can become a victim.

In July 2018, Marisha went on a date with someone she met on the dating site Bumble. Marisha had recently moved to the UK and was performing a lead role in the West End. Feeling vulnerable and lonely in a new country, she wanted to make new friends. This new friend wined and dined her, claiming to work in finance as a broker specializing in investments. This seemed perfect as she was looking to invest money, as she was trying to buy her mother a home back in the USA. However, a few months later, she was scammed out of an eye-watering £60,000, threatened with violence, and left feeling ashamed and fearful. Calls to Bumble to warn them about this person and reports to the police yielded no results at the time. Marisha had to seek therapy to overcome the shame, hurt, and feelings of impotence she was left with.

Speaking about the experience, Wallace said:

“I never imagined that I would fall victim to an online dating scam. But it’s important to recognize that anyone can be targeted. By joining forces with Victim Support, I hope to give a voice to those who have been deceived and help prevent others from experiencing the same heartbreak.”

Lisa Mills, Romance Fraud Expert at the charity Victim Support said:

“Sadly, there is still so much shame and stigma around romance fraud. Through her courage and determination to speak out, Marisha is changing that and showing that romance fraud can happen to anyone. People need to understand that romance fraudsters are skilled manipulators – they know exactly what to say to make you trust them and believe that they’re in love with you, which makes it incredibly easy to become a victim.”

Romance fraud affects thousands of men and women from all walks of life and is a spiralling issue in the UK. Last year, there were 7,660 reported cases in England and Wales, according to the BBC – the true figure is expected to be much higher, as so many victims do not report.

By sharing her story, Marisha aims to break the stigma and encourage open conversations about the prevalence of romance scams.

Alongside Victim Support, she is working to raise awareness about what to look out for and empower victims to seek the support they need to recover from the emotional and financial toll of these devastating scams.

If you’ve been affected by romance fraud, you can call our 24/7 Supportline on 08 08 16 89 111 or start a live chat below.