A widower from Leiston who sent £85,000 to a woman who did not exist has thanked the public for setting up a donation page to help rebuild his finances.

Rodrick Lodge, 69, is living in a homeless shelter after losing everything he had to an imaginary Kenyan woman named Anita.  

An online donation page has now been set up by a member of the public and Mr Lodge has said he is very grateful for the effort.

Mr Lodge’s wife Pauline died in 2019 and the year after he made a friend on holiday in Kenya.

His friend put him in contact with an online scam account called Anita, who he then fell in love with over social media.  

Rodrick Lodge with his wife Pauline who died in 2019Rodrick Lodge with his wife Pauline, who died in 2019 (Image: Rodrick Lodge)

He believes the friend he made in Kenya is behind the fraud which he says has left his life “totally in tatters”.

Mr Lodge asked 'Anita' to marry him after several months of online conversation.

He said: “In Kenya, you have to give a dowry. She said she was building a house for us so I said 'let me pay for it'.”

But this was not all he offered to help with: “I helped her with her beauty business and fees, and a new office in Rwanda and flights there and a flat in Kigali.”

Then in December 2023 he flew to Nairobi.

Kenyan newspapers also wrote about the scamKenyan newspapers also wrote about the scam (Image: Rodrick Lodge)

Mr Lodge said: “Each time I said 'come to Nairobi. I need to see you'.

"She made excuses while she was sending me progression pictures of the house she was building.

"I was stupid. Then in May, she said that her dad was in hospital with prostate cancer, and she needed money for doctor's fees.

“I did a search in Mombasa, for anybody in hospital with her family name, and there was nobody.

“My world stopped, and it was only due to a couple of Kenyan friends who got gave me free housing I survived. Without them I would have been on the streets in Kenya.

Rodrick Lodge has spoken of his ordealRodrick Lodge has spoken of his ordeal (Image: Rodrick Lodge)

“Like every man, I thought I needed a woman to share my life with and that has become a nightmare.”

Mr Lodge is now in a shelter in Woking and fears he may end up homeless.

His solicitor Iain Mackay added: “He has been exploited as a vulnerable individual whilst suffering bereavement.

"So we are doing everything we can to recover the funds for him in circumstances where his banks ought to have protected him as a vulnerable customer.”

Click here to donate.