How my knight in shining armour turned out to be a brigand and a knave - and took me for a king's ransom

When he reappeared, I asked him to get my money out of the building society to pay me back. First he said he was too busy to go, then he told me the building society manager refused to let him have it. And then there were further stories about selling the company. And so it continued - one delaying tactic after another.

I was frightened to alienate him and feared that if I upset him, he wouldn't repay me. It never occurred to me at that stage that he had no intention of paying me back.

The lies went on until he went out of the country on business, supposedly to sell the company - again.

The sting exposed

At this point, I went to see a solicitor. He immediately realised what I was not yet ready to accept - that Peter had no intention of paying me back. He told me that the company was just a false front to get my money. My lawyer's enquiries revealed that Peter didn't even own his house. Realisation dawned.

My lawyer then advised me to dissolve the partnership and to write to all creditors advising them of the situation. I also realised why all the post had been directed to me. That meant I signed for everything. And I subsequently found out he had sold the Porsche - even though it was not his to sell.

At this point, Peter disappeared, so the creditors came after me. Some were very supportive and wrote off debts but others threatened court action.

I discovered Peter had done this before, to a previous girlfriend, though on a smaller scale. He had never put one penny into the company. There was no stock. Every day I woke up feeling sick, scared to look at the post. I wanted to stop him being able to do it to anyone else.

Payback time

My solicitor advised me to call the police, who told me that there was a criminal case of obtaining money by deception. But it went backwards and forwards to the Crown Prosecution Service, with varying results.

By this time, Peter was living in Spain. Then, a year ago, when he thought it was safe, he came back and the police interviewed him. It was, he said, an innocent business venture that went wrong. He told them I knew the risk. But the police charged him.

I spent three traumatic days at court, giving my account and reliving something I'd tried hard to put behind me. He denied all three charges, two of obtaining money by deception and one of the theft of the Porsche, but was convicted on all counts. I had enough evidence to show what he did, not least his own document stating he had invested £164,000 - which he hadn't.

Following a guilty verdict, he was sentenced to three years in prison.

The aftermath

I feel at last he's being punished for what he did. Will I ever get my £65,000 - the £45,000 he stole and a further £20,000 I've incurred as a result - back? No. Has it left me scarred? Yes. It affected my life for a long time. I had a nervous breakdown, I lost a great deal of money and my self-esteem. I find it hard to trust men now.

But I will not be a victim. I have rebuilt my life. I'm working. I've met someone new who's a wonderful guy. We've been together for three years now and I've moved to get away from the whole incident.

What have I learned? That conmen are very clever and good at what they do. I'd never met one before and didn't realise how plausible they can be.

Fool's mate how to lose your heart but keep your shirt

Fraudsters are at their most persuasive when they convince you they are your friend, or even better, your lover. They get you to trust them and then rely on them so totally that caution evaporates. Top fraudsters so insinuate themselves in your affections that you leave decisions to them.

Jane Hope is not the first infatuated woman to be caught like this. And sadly, she is unlikely to be the last. It's the female equivalent of the rich man who marries a woman with a long track record of lucrative divorces - only to find himself being taken (perfectly legally) to the cleaners after only 18 months of marriage.

Donna Bradshaw, an independent financial adviser at IFG Financial Services who specialises in advice for women, is not surprised. She says: "It's all too easy to forget that if you lose your heart to someone, you should not lose your head. Many couples who have been together for years still keep their finances as separate as possible.

"Problems occur when what is suggested sounds too good to be true. Then it's very likely to be so. You should never hand over money unless you have had the business opportunity checked out independently. If the deal's for real, then the fees for this will not eat up much of the profits. But if it's a scam, then you'll save your cash."

Ms Bradshaw believes that none of this fraudster's proposals would stand scrutiny. "There's no business plan, let alone a coherent one. You should always ask for documentation and then check it before parting with money. And just why would anyone pay £164,000 for 1,000 phones?"

Leonie Kerswill, a tax partner at accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers, reiterates the message. "Always seek professional advice. In this case it appears she thought she was investing into a limited company. But that would have involved paperwork which she did not have. This was a business partnership, which requires little documentation but leaves each partner with far greater exposure to personal liability, as each can be held responsible for the financial acts, including loans, of fellow partners."

Ms Kerswill says the fraudster knew the victim's business experience was minimal and so he could blind her, promising a super-rich future.

"You must never be afraid to ask and to keep asking if you don't understand something. She thought it was strange about getting the cars. She was right, but too late. It's no good keeping your doubts to yourself. But it may be possible to offset losses on a failed business venture against other income and claim a tax repayment."

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