Woman conned by a romance scammer opens up about their first date

A woman who was conned out of thousands of pounds by a romance scammer has opened up on the warning signs as she took to ITV's This Morning. Victim Caroline, who remained anonymous during the show with her back facing the camera, revealed how 'Mark Swift' took money from her to fund fake treatment for his daughter, who he claimed was unwell. Caroline was left struggling with her finances after falling victim to his scams, and even had to sell her home after handing over her cash. The duo had met on a dating app on 2011, following mother and grandmother Caroline's divorce - with 'Mark' introducing himself as a successful chef. Within weeks of their whirlwind romance, Caroline and 'Mark' were engaged, with Caroline sending money for their nuptials abroad. Her romance dreams soon turned into a nightmare when it was discovered that 'Mark' was a prolific scammer, Ray McDonald, who has 58 convictions.