My girlfriend says she can’t visit unless she can prove she has 10k in her bank

DEAR DEIDRE: MY girlfriend has been told she can’t visit me in the UK unless she can prove to the African authorities that she has £10,000 in her bank account.

I’m a man of 42 and she’s 35. We met through an online dating site that links up British people with mainly women from abroad.

I’m worried she might not be telling me the truth because I’ve already sent her over £3,000 for her visa and flight. I said I could visit her but she is insistent that she wants to visit me here in the UK.

The whole trip is planned out in my head and she said that if things work out between us, we can get married.

I can’t wait to see her but because she’s now getting angry about me not being able to send the money quickly, I’ve started to question her intentions towards me.

DEIDRE SAYS: She’s not being honest with you and I’m sorry to say that this sounds like a romance scam.

These people are unscrupulous. They make out that they are interested in you and will encourage you to send money and then you’ll lose contact. She may not even be the person she said she is.

Please don’t send her any more money. It is doubtful you’ll see your £3,000 again.

You can read more about these scams through Action Fraud (actionfraud.police.uk, 0300 123 2040).

My support pack called Staying Safe Online will help you too.