Julie Osgood Exposes 4 Dating-App Scammers After £20,000 Cash Sting

3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 6

Julie Osgood, 60, said the first four men she matched with on dating apps were scammers, with the latest trying to lure her to Paris for a supposed £20,000 cash handover.
The Middleton widow said the men used a similar script—widowed or divorced fathers, sudden business trips and later money troubles—with AI-generated profile images showing tell-tale flaws.
On the over-50s app Ourtime, a man calling himself Franck claimed a French inheritance court case had frozen his accounts; Osgood played along, sent fake flight details and said he then demanded her location and hotel room.
Osgood reported the case to Greater Manchester Police and the account to Ourtime, which said member safety was its top priority and it would assist any police investigation.
Romance-fraud losses reported to Action Fraud topped £92 million in 2024, up from £82 million a year earlier, as Osgood said she spoke out to warn others and press dating sites to act.