Woman felt 'stupid' over fake Rag'n'Bone Man scam

A woman named Mary felt 'sick and angry' after being scammed out of more than £2,000 by someone pretending to be the famous singer Rag'n'Bone Man. Mary, who is 53 years old and from Norfolk, shared her story with the BBC to warn others about the dangers of social media scams. The scammer contacted her on Instagram, posing as the singer known for hits like 'Human'. Mary said the scammer seemed very convincing and legitimate.

The scam began in May when Mary commented on a post by the real Rag'n'Bone Man, whose real name is Rory Graham. Shortly after, she received a private message from someone pretending to be the multi-Brit Award-winning artist. Mary was thrilled and didn't expect a celebrity to message her back. The scammer asked her to continue the conversation on the private-messaging app Telegram. There, they convinced her to transfer £250 for a membership card that would supposedly allow her to see him perform in the studio.

Mary was tricked into making several payments before she realized she was being conned. The scammer told her they had 'fallen madly in love' with her. Mary also received messages, supposedly from the singer's management team, asking for £1,500 to meet her 'idol'. The fake Rag'n'Bone Man increased the pressure, becoming blunt and nastier about the money. He kept pushing Mary, and she eventually sent him the money. The demands for money continued, and at one point, Mary was asked for £5,000. She finally realized she had been scammed and felt 'absolutely stupid'. In total, Mary paid out £2,408, which she knows she is unlikely to see again.

Online romance scams have become a growing problem. Stephen Maunder from Norfolk Trading Standards said scammers impersonating celebrities are often 'masters' at grooming people. He advised anyone in a similar situation to talk to someone they trust about it. Mary contacted the BBC after reading about a woman in Suffolk who had been scammed in a similar way. She wanted to share her story to prevent others from falling into the same trap. Mary said, 'It could happen to anybody, and it really does make you feel sick and angry that they can do this.