0:00:02 > 0:00:04Millions of us are targeted in scams every year,
0:00:04 > 0:00:06and whether it comes in the form of an e-mail,
0:00:06 > 0:00:10a cold call or a knock at the door, they are all designed to do
0:00:10 > 0:00:15one thing and one thing only - to get you to part with your cash.
0:00:31 > 0:00:36Coming up, the family who had a con man living in their home.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39- He could've ended up... - Doing anything.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43Plus, the heartless Romeo who used love and friendship
0:00:43 > 0:00:45to get his hands on women's cash.
0:00:45 > 0:00:50I've not allowed new people into my life since then.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52Well, I'm here to tell you what the con man doesn't want you to know -
0:00:52 > 0:00:56how to stay one step ahead of the game and not get scammed.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Some con men will rip you off in the blink of an eye,
0:01:06 > 0:01:08but for relatively small amounts.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12Then there are others who will expend incredible time and effort
0:01:12 > 0:01:16trying to get that big payout.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20We're talking about high-end scams here,
0:01:20 > 0:01:24where the prize for the con man could be a six or seven figure sum.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26But to get their hands on that kind of cash,
0:01:26 > 0:01:30they need to find the right person to target and they need to devise
0:01:30 > 0:01:35an elaborate scam that could take months or even years to pull off.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38When you look at the funds involved, it is worth the time and effort
0:01:38 > 0:01:41for the end product that they are going to get,
0:01:41 > 0:01:43which can result in hundreds of thousands of pounds.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49The couple I'm about to meet lost a staggering sum of money to this con,
0:01:49 > 0:01:54but the shocking thing is that it could've ripped their family apart.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01Richard and Anjani Hunt live in Hampshire with their three grown-up children.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04Richard runs a multi-million-pound machinery business
0:02:04 > 0:02:07which he built up from nothing.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10His hard work means he's been able to afford a lovely home
0:02:10 > 0:02:12and a comfortable lifestyle for his family.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21- Hello.- Hello!- You must be Anj? - You must be Matt.- Nice to meet you.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24- Lovely to meet you, too.- Shall I come in?- Please come in.- Thank you.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28But Richard's success has come at a price.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32Last year, he and his family were targeted in a highly elaborate scam,
0:02:32 > 0:02:37and the con men were trying to steal everything Richard has worked for.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41- Is Richard a very hard worker? - He is.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45How many hours a day would you say Richard works?
0:02:45 > 0:02:47Well, 24 hours, basically.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49If there were more, he would be doing more.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51MATT LAUGHS Well, I work.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54I don't do golf, I don't do... I don't do many...
0:02:54 > 0:02:57I don't do any hobbies at all.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01I must say, yeah, it's sad, I do enjoy work, yeah.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Richard has put his heart and soul into running his business
0:03:05 > 0:03:08and providing for his wife and kids.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12So, when he was presented with the deal of a lifetime in 2011,
0:03:12 > 0:03:15you can hardly blame him for being interested.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18He'd was approached by an African businessman,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21who wanted him to supply machinery for a building project
0:03:21 > 0:03:22on the Ivory Coast.
0:03:22 > 0:03:27It was a contract that would earn Richard around one million pounds.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31This came across as a genuine businessman who knew what he was
0:03:31 > 0:03:36talking about, and he came across as very honest and down-to-earth.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40He said there was a great need for low-cost housing on the Ivory Coast
0:03:40 > 0:03:43and he wanted the machines to prepare all the sites.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48The businessman was called Frank Beddy, and he told Richard
0:03:48 > 0:03:52he was running the project on behalf of the Ivory Coast government.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54And he said, "When are you available?
0:03:54 > 0:03:58"I would like to bring you over to meet the prime minister
0:03:58 > 0:04:02"and the ministers of housing in the Ivory Coast."
0:04:02 > 0:04:04And I thought, "Great."
0:04:04 > 0:04:07What Richard didn't know was that Frank Beddy
0:04:07 > 0:04:10was a high-class con man.
0:04:11 > 0:04:17It's certainly common for con men to pretend that they have contacts
0:04:17 > 0:04:21at a high-level or in governments.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24Impressed with what he had heard, Richard asked his advisers
0:04:24 > 0:04:28to check the paperwork and make sure everything was above board.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34There were other people on my side that looked at the project and said,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37"Richard, this is fantastic, where did you meet this guy?"
0:04:37 > 0:04:39You know, "It's great."
0:04:39 > 0:04:44Beddy did tell Richard there would be some upfront costs.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47He wanted to carry on with the business straightaway,
0:04:47 > 0:04:51and he asked me for £8,300 to cover his expenses.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Although it was a large sum of money,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Richard was happy to cover Beddy's expenses.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00After all, his paperwork had checked out
0:05:00 > 0:05:02and there was no reason to be suspicious.
0:05:02 > 0:05:07But things were about to take their first dramatic twist.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11Richard got a call to say Beddy had been badly burned in an accident.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16When I went to see him, he was lying on a hospital bed
0:05:16 > 0:05:21and he had two pillows at the bottom of his bed and his feet were up.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24His arms were up like this,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27he was in quite a lot of pain at that time.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29He just kept apologising and saying,
0:05:29 > 0:05:32"Look, don't worry, everything is going to be all right.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34"You know, the doctors have said that within the next five days
0:05:34 > 0:05:37"they are going to take the bandages off
0:05:37 > 0:05:39"and everything will be all right with the project,"
0:05:39 > 0:05:41and he just kept apologising, really.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45- Your first reaction is one of sympathy?- Yes.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Basically, I just felt so sorry for him.
0:05:48 > 0:05:54It's very common in these type of scams for the con man to put out some sort of cry for help,
0:05:54 > 0:05:59and the story often given is the con man himself has suffered burns.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03Whether by accident or design, Beddy had engineered
0:06:03 > 0:06:06the perfect opportunity to get close to Richard.
0:06:06 > 0:06:11I basically said to him, "Well, look, when you get out,
0:06:11 > 0:06:13"Would you like to come and stay at my house?"
0:06:14 > 0:06:17It was an invitation Richard would live to regret.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21His family was about to be drawn into the scam.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24I looked after him like a mother would look after her son, really.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26I did his washing, did his cooking,
0:06:26 > 0:06:30I went out and got all his food that he liked.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32And I quite enjoyed his company.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36Because every day, I'm here by myself, so it was quite nice
0:06:36 > 0:06:40having somebody to chat to in the kitchen and, you know,
0:06:40 > 0:06:44telling me about his wives and he was a prince, and all these stories.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47He'd make me laugh, because I couldn't believe them.
0:06:47 > 0:06:52So, yeah, he was great company for me. Yeah. He was.
0:06:52 > 0:06:57It is rare that a con man will get the opportunity
0:06:57 > 0:07:00to get into a victim's family, but where that opportunity arises,
0:07:00 > 0:07:02they will grasp that with both hands.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Beddy could now gain the trust of the whole family
0:07:07 > 0:07:10and cement his relationship with Richard.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14He made a very close friendship with my two sons and my daughter,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17and we sat down every night for dinner, didn't we?
0:07:17 > 0:07:20He had actually become a very close friend
0:07:20 > 0:07:22in such a short period of time.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26I thought he was a wonderful man.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30Beddy lived with the family for a couple of months
0:07:30 > 0:07:33and got closer and closer to them.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35And with the business deal still progressing,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38Richard continued to pay Beddy's expenses.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Have you discussed with each other any suspicions
0:07:41 > 0:07:45- or any feelings that you might have about it?- No.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47We trusted him 100%.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53But Frank Beddy now had the family right where he wanted them,
0:07:53 > 0:07:56and he was ready to go for the big prize.
0:07:56 > 0:07:57He told Richard the deal was done
0:07:57 > 0:08:02but that money was needed upfront to pay landowners.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Because of all the corruption in Africa,
0:08:06 > 0:08:11he couldn't do a money transfer and he would need the money in cash.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15Beddy was now talking six-figure sums,
0:08:15 > 0:08:18and he told Richard the deal could fall through
0:08:18 > 0:08:20if they didn't get the cash fast.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23Richard had some but not all of the cash,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26so, dragging his family further into the scam,
0:08:26 > 0:08:32he borrowed £70,000 from wife Anjani and £25,000 from his sons.
0:08:32 > 0:08:37It took me, I think, it was a week-and-a-half to get the money,
0:08:37 > 0:08:39and then I gave him that money.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41How much money?
0:08:41 > 0:08:44About £380,000 at that time.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50But getting hold of the cash was only the beginning.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52In another remarkable twist,
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Beddy told Richard the cash would have to be dyed black
0:08:55 > 0:08:58to get it safely into Africa.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00Richard didn't know it at the time,
0:09:00 > 0:09:03but this is an age-old con called the black money scam.
0:09:05 > 0:09:10He had to be very, very careful that the money didn't get stolen,
0:09:10 > 0:09:14and he wanted to make sure that he had hold of the money at all times
0:09:14 > 0:09:19and deliver it directly to the landowner.
0:09:19 > 0:09:24Richard's trust in Beddy was being pushed to the very limit.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28I said, "Look, Frank, you know, when I first met you, I was happy,
0:09:28 > 0:09:31"I wasn't concerned about anything, but at the last minute,
0:09:31 > 0:09:35"you're telling me that this money has got to be dyed black to get it
0:09:35 > 0:09:38"out the country and I'm not comfortable with that."
0:09:38 > 0:09:42But Beddy assured Richard that this was the only safe way to transport
0:09:42 > 0:09:45his precious £380,000.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47He just kept reassuring me and saying,
0:09:47 > 0:09:49"Don't worry, Richard, everything is all right."
0:09:49 > 0:09:53He basically kept on all the time, "Please trust me."
0:09:53 > 0:09:57- Did you know anything about this, Anj?- No. Nothing.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Richard was in too deep.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03Although he felt uneasy, he allowed Beddy to show him
0:10:03 > 0:10:06how the dying process would work.
0:10:06 > 0:10:11He had a special chemical that turned one of the notes black
0:10:11 > 0:10:16and then he actually pulled it out and he put it into some other liquid
0:10:16 > 0:10:21and put a little mini drop of chemical in it
0:10:21 > 0:10:26and it went from black back into real money again.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28And I was astonished.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31Convinced by the process,
0:10:31 > 0:10:36Richard nervously agreed for the full £380,000 to be dyed.
0:10:36 > 0:10:43How did you feel watching £380,000 of your money being dipped?
0:10:43 > 0:10:45Sick.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48- Why didn't you stop him? - Well, because it was...
0:10:48 > 0:10:50We were too far into it.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54Once the money had been dyed, Beddy began putting it through a machine
0:10:54 > 0:10:58which he said would coat the cash in a special preservative.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03He plugged the box in and there was a noise for about 30 seconds,
0:11:03 > 0:11:05and I said, "What's that all that about, Frank?"
0:11:05 > 0:11:07And he said, "Oh, it's just
0:11:07 > 0:11:13"processing the powder equally at the ends to preserve the money."
0:11:14 > 0:11:17When the process was complete, the money was wrapped up,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20put into a suitcase, and given to Richard.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23Beddy then took his machine away
0:11:23 > 0:11:26and said he was off to buy chemicals to reverse the process.
0:11:26 > 0:11:32I went into his room, I unzipped the suitcase, I opened it up
0:11:32 > 0:11:36and all the money that I saw him wrap up was still in the suitcase.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40But the wheels were about to come off.
0:11:40 > 0:11:47Beddy phoned Richard and told him he needed £200,000 to buy chemicals.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49When he told me that, I nearly had a heart attack.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Realising something was seriously wrong,
0:11:51 > 0:11:57Richard went online and found pages that talked of the black money scam.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59He got straight on the phone to the police
0:11:59 > 0:12:01who came and examined the cash.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05No serial number, no foil in the middle.
0:12:08 > 0:12:09It feels like paper.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14The police confirmed Richard's worst fears.
0:12:14 > 0:12:15Beddy had disappeared,
0:12:15 > 0:12:18leaving him with a suitcase full of photocopied notes.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23By that time, I was physically sick.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27The police carefully sifted through the notes,
0:12:27 > 0:12:29and as Richard explained what had happened,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32it became clear how the scam had worked.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37The real money went into the top of the box,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40and then when he plugged it into the socket,
0:12:40 > 0:12:44he switched it on and it must have been a rotating table in the box
0:12:44 > 0:12:49that turned round, and my real money had gone to the bottom of this box
0:12:49 > 0:12:53and photocopied money had come to the top.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58Richard now had to face his family with the news that Frank Beddy
0:12:58 > 0:13:04was a con artist and had taken £400,000 of their money.
0:13:04 > 0:13:05What was your reaction?
0:13:05 > 0:13:09I don't think I even said anything, I was so shocked.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12I couldn't believe what had been going on.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14I was really shocked.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17I didn't know anything.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21And, you know, I'm angry because we've lost all this money
0:13:21 > 0:13:25when we could have put it to a better cause.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28We could've done, you know, so much more as a family.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30I think it's more than that.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Betrayed.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34It's just a disaster.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36A complete disaster.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Although his family's money was gone,
0:13:44 > 0:13:48Richard had an opportunity to get some justice.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50Frank Beddy was still in touch and wanted Richard to meet
0:13:50 > 0:13:54two of his colleagues to hand over yet more cash.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57Sensing an opportunity to catch the con men,
0:13:57 > 0:14:01Richard agreed to take part in a police sting, captured on CCTV.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06Once the suspects had entered the room, we entered the room
0:14:06 > 0:14:11immediately behind them and the pair were both arrested for conspiracy
0:14:11 > 0:14:15to defraud and possession of an article for use in fraud.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19These two men were Christian Tsanga and Ivan Tchouta,
0:14:19 > 0:14:22and both were later found guilty and sentenced to four years.
0:14:22 > 0:14:27Sadly, the architect of the crime, Frank Beddy, is still at large.
0:14:31 > 0:14:36Looking at it now, I can't believe that I allowed it to happen.
0:14:36 > 0:14:37I really can't.
0:14:37 > 0:14:43It's just unbelievable, really, how I got sucked into it.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46I can only imagine that you feel very guilty.
0:14:46 > 0:14:52I feel that I've let my family down, I feel that I was stupid.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56- He could've ended up... - Doing anything.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59I do, I feel terrible for you,
0:14:59 > 0:15:04because I think that's the way you do business, is by taking risks.
0:15:04 > 0:15:05Yeah.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10What happened to Richard and Anjani is highly unusual,
0:15:10 > 0:15:12but there are lessons here for all of us.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16So if someone approaches you with a money-making scheme,
0:15:16 > 0:15:18ask yourself...
0:15:19 > 0:15:23If it sounds far-fetched or hard to believe, just walk away.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Yes, the web is a mine of information about scams,
0:15:27 > 0:15:31so a quick surf online could save you a lot of heartache.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34And last but not least, if you're suspicious...
0:15:36 > 0:15:38..talk to people that you've done business with before.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42The message from this is he's still out there.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45He's still got his box of tricks, and the black money scam
0:15:45 > 0:15:48is not myth and legend, it's a real thing.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52It's happened to you guys and it could happen to somebody else.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Everyone in life needs a soul mate.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07That one person that understands and shares your passions,
0:16:07 > 0:16:09your desires and your interests.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13But what happens when that one person turns out not to be
0:16:13 > 0:16:16in love with you, but in love with your money?
0:16:21 > 0:16:24In 2008, Devon & Cornwall Police found themselves on the trail
0:16:24 > 0:16:28of a serial con man who had been breaking hearts and bank balances
0:16:28 > 0:16:30across the land for over a decade.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35He was the best liar and the best con man
0:16:35 > 0:16:37that I have ever come across in my career.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41The case centred around compulsive liar turned love rat John Keady,
0:16:41 > 0:16:46who used online dating sites and internet forums to target women.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50Over the years, he has left behind a trail of destruction.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54You can't begin to describe the amount of pain he has caused people.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58Police had been alerted to Keady having been contacted
0:16:58 > 0:17:02by a series of women who had lost money to his scheming ways.
0:17:02 > 0:17:07Women like professional opera singer Laura Hudson, who met Keady online
0:17:07 > 0:17:11and within days had fallen under his spell.
0:17:11 > 0:17:16He was very relaxing, he was jokey, he was an ordinary person.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Nothing untoward in any way, shape or form.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22John Keady claimed to be a successful businessman,
0:17:22 > 0:17:26and, like Laura, often travelled around the country for his work.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28They seemed to hit it off.
0:17:28 > 0:17:33The reality is we are attracted to people who are similar to ourselves,
0:17:33 > 0:17:38and so, if the con person can to make themselves seem similar to us,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41having the same interests, then we're going to like them more
0:17:41 > 0:17:45and they'll be more successful at conning money out of us as well.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49After exchanging a few messages online,
0:17:49 > 0:17:51Keady was quick to move things up a gear.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55He gave me his phone number and said, "Please call me."
0:17:55 > 0:17:58We spoke on the phone, we sent text messages.
0:17:58 > 0:18:04'He never tried to be anything other than just a very light-hearted, friendly person.'
0:18:04 > 0:18:07John Keady was keen to meet Laura as soon as possible,
0:18:07 > 0:18:11to develop their relationship and get the scam moving.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14It was always, "You're a very interesting person,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17"I'd like get to meet you in person,"
0:18:17 > 0:18:23and he was always very much, "You sound like a genuine person. I think I can trust you."
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Within weeks of them first making contact,
0:18:25 > 0:18:30Laura felt comfortable enough to invite Keady to her home for dinner.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33He was chatting about books he had read, music.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35This is a very intelligent person,
0:18:35 > 0:18:38because the books were all about psychology and things like that,
0:18:38 > 0:18:43and I thought, "Ooh, that's somebody who really is interested in
0:18:43 > 0:18:46"something more than just football and going down the pub."
0:18:46 > 0:18:49So, I was very impressed, actually.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53Keady also seemed impressed and texted her to suggest another date.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55But the day before they were to meet,
0:18:55 > 0:18:59Keady used his charms to get things onto his favourite subject - money.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05I got a text message saying that some companies owed him money,
0:19:05 > 0:19:10and because they owed him money, he couldn't pay his bills and therefore
0:19:10 > 0:19:14he was going to lose his company business and go under himself.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16Wanting to help her new friend,
0:19:16 > 0:19:20Laura agreed to loan Keady a total of £10,000.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23But almost as soon as she'd handed over the cash,
0:19:23 > 0:19:25she began to feel concerned.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28She searched the internet for information about Keady's company
0:19:28 > 0:19:30and couldn't find a thing.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32I contacted him to say, you know,
0:19:32 > 0:19:35"Where's the website, is everything OK?"
0:19:35 > 0:19:36And he said, "Oh, no, everything is fine,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39"you must have misspelt the company."
0:19:39 > 0:19:42So I went back on internet searches,
0:19:42 > 0:19:47and I found a website referring to John Keady.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50They said that John Keady was no longer welcome on this forum,
0:19:50 > 0:19:54if you've had any dealings with him, please contact the website.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58The minute I saw the message, my heart sank
0:19:58 > 0:19:59and I just felt physically ill,
0:19:59 > 0:20:03because I just knew straightaway that I'd been scammed.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Laura got straight on the phone to Devon and Cornwall Police,
0:20:10 > 0:20:13and received the shocking news that Keady was on bail,
0:20:13 > 0:20:16having been charged with several counts of fraud.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19The charges were the result of an 18-month investigation
0:20:19 > 0:20:21by DC Rachel Short and her team.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25First of all, there was a lady that came forward who had been
0:20:25 > 0:20:27in a relationship with him, just as friends,
0:20:27 > 0:20:29and when their friendship had broken down,
0:20:29 > 0:20:32she found out that she had been left with a huge credit card bill.
0:20:32 > 0:20:37As DC Short began investigating, she discovered that Keady had targeted
0:20:37 > 0:20:39scores of women over a decade.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45He had some past history and had been in the media and press before,
0:20:45 > 0:20:48on national TV and in newspapers,
0:20:48 > 0:20:52relating to defrauding women out of thousands of pounds.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56So how had he been able to get away with it for so long?
0:20:56 > 0:20:58He was being arrested and bailed out,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01and didn't want to offend in the local area,
0:21:01 > 0:21:05and was therefore travelling up the country along the south coast,
0:21:05 > 0:21:09predominantly, and committing further crimes further afield.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12And it seems the longer he got away with it,
0:21:12 > 0:21:14the more Keady's confidence grew.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18Con people, as time goes on, they get better and better at it,
0:21:18 > 0:21:21cos it is their job and they know how to do it very well.
0:21:21 > 0:21:27But DC Short was determined to put a stop to Keady's conniving ways once and for all.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30She was now building up a body of evidence against Keady
0:21:30 > 0:21:33and starting to understand how he operated.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37He'd find a woman who was very professional and quite eloquent,
0:21:37 > 0:21:42people such as barristers, doctors, and preyed on their better nature.
0:21:42 > 0:21:47In many cases, Keady started proper relationships with these women,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50but it was only ever so he could get into their bank accounts.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55On one occasion, he was seeing three different people all at once.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57He was telling one person he was going to work
0:21:57 > 0:21:59and going to see the other person,
0:21:59 > 0:22:03telling the other person he was going to stay with friends and going to see them.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06And once he'd got his hands on their cash, Keady would up sticks
0:22:06 > 0:22:10and repeat the same pattern somewhere else.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12DC Short had now spoken to 12 different women
0:22:12 > 0:22:17who'd lost money to Keady, and she was ready to take serious action.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21We gathered enough evidence on him to effect arrest
0:22:21 > 0:22:24and searches of the properties that he had, which included
0:22:24 > 0:22:28seizures of thousands of pounds' worth of equipment and clothing.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31Equipment that included the latest gear for kayaking,
0:22:31 > 0:22:34expensive camera kit, designer clothes and watches.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37Yep, it seems John Keady had expensive tastes
0:22:37 > 0:22:41and had been fleecing women to pay for this lifestyle.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44It became obvious that he didn't actually have the means to fund
0:22:44 > 0:22:46the lifestyle that he was living.
0:22:46 > 0:22:51It appeared that he was living from one person to another and literally
0:22:51 > 0:22:56just milking them of their money and using that money for his next meal.
0:22:56 > 0:22:57But the game was up.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01John Keady was arrested and brought in for questioning.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04Even under the pressure of interrogation,
0:23:04 > 0:23:07smooth-talking Keady had an answer for everything.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11We tried various interview tactics which were known to trip people up,
0:23:11 > 0:23:13like questioning people backwards, things like that,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16that makes it much harder to be able to maintain the truth.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20We tried everything, and he STILL managed to profess that lie.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24Even after being charged and bailed, Keady had the audacity
0:23:24 > 0:23:27to target additional women, including Laura.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32In the end, we had to plead with the magistrates to just remand him in custody,
0:23:32 > 0:23:36cos I didn't think we were going to get him to stop any other way.
0:23:36 > 0:23:42Fortunately, the court agreed and put Keady on remand in prison while he awaited trial.
0:23:42 > 0:23:47He had been charged with 36 counts of theft, fraud and deception,
0:23:47 > 0:23:49and initially he pleaded not guilty.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52But in May 2010, just before the trial began,
0:23:52 > 0:23:56he changed his mind and pleaded guilty to 19 of the offences.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02When the judge delivered his speech and his sentence,
0:24:02 > 0:24:05he just seemed completely passive.
0:24:05 > 0:24:10I looked at him and it just seemed... He just seemed completely...
0:24:10 > 0:24:11Didn't care.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15It seemed like an ordinary day in the life of John Keady.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19But in fact it was the end of his days as a free man.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21Keady was sentenced to...
0:24:24 > 0:24:28It was an enormous sense of relief that justice had been done,
0:24:28 > 0:24:30that he was going to prison.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34The biggest thing for me was the fact that whilst he was in prison,
0:24:34 > 0:24:36he couldn't hurt anybody else.
0:24:36 > 0:24:41Unfortunately, whilst John Keady showed no remorse for his victims,
0:24:41 > 0:24:43the consequences were shattering.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46I can no longer trust people.
0:24:46 > 0:24:52It takes a lot for me to start talking to new people.
0:24:52 > 0:24:57In fact, I've not allowed new people into my life since then.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00If you plan to meet someone through online dating,
0:25:00 > 0:25:02here are some words of advice.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05My advice to anybody would be to not put too much information
0:25:05 > 0:25:08on your profile, maybe set yourself up a separate e-mail account,
0:25:08 > 0:25:11something that is not going to lead you to any personal details
0:25:11 > 0:25:14about your home or your work or what your actually do for a living.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17And, you know, go and meet someone with somebody else
0:25:17 > 0:25:21and get to know them before you start disclosing too many details.
0:25:27 > 0:25:32Before we go, there's just time to tell you about some of the latest scams out there.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34I've come to meet a representative from Trading Standards
0:25:34 > 0:25:37to get the low-down on what you should be looking out for.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Today, we're looking at a scam
0:25:42 > 0:25:46that targets people's lack of knowledge about their home computer.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51OK, so, what are they dealing with right now?
0:25:51 > 0:25:55There's a scam at the moment where someone is calling people
0:25:55 > 0:25:58and saying "We're from Microsoft," and they've detected there is
0:25:58 > 0:26:01a scam on their computer, a virus of some kind.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04All they need from that is their Wi-Fi password
0:26:04 > 0:26:06so they can get information from their computer.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10So, this surprises me, because other passwords, yes, I can understand,
0:26:10 > 0:26:11but my Wi-Fi password?
0:26:11 > 0:26:14I didn't think that was contentious at all.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Well, that's their way of them getting access to your computer,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20connecting to what you're seeing on your computer.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22So they can gain access to your bank statements,
0:26:22 > 0:26:26your bank account details and any other personal information
0:26:26 > 0:26:28you've got on there - address books and so on.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30So, Trading Standards advice?
0:26:37 > 0:26:41Fraudsters will for ever be coming up with new ways to get you
0:26:41 > 0:26:45to part with your cash, but armed with a little bit of knowledge,
0:26:45 > 0:26:47you could be one step ahead of them.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51Stay safe, and I'll see you next time.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd