Wayne Westhead lost his life savings to fraudsters posing as Rod Stewart, leaving him devastated during a tough time.
Manchester: Wayne Westhead, a former soldier, was duped out of £200,000 by scammers who used Rod Stewart’s face to promote a fake investment scheme. It’s a heartbreaking story, especially since Wayne was trying to support his wife during her battle with cancer.
After stepping back from work to care for her, he saw an ad on Facebook that promised big returns with little risk. It looked legit because it had Rod Stewart’s endorsement. Wayne thought he was making a smart move to boost his Army pension.
At first, he invested a small amount, but after hearing he made a return, he kept putting in more money. Before he knew it, he had invested over £100,000. The scammers kept pushing him to invest in more complicated schemes, and he felt overwhelmed but kept going.
Sadly, his wife passed away in 2019, and shortly after, Wayne was diagnosed with cancer too. The scammers didn’t let up; they pressured him to invest even more. It wasn’t until they asked for another £150,000 to access his funds that he realized he’d been scammed.
After some digging, he found out he wasn’t alone—many others had fallen for the same trick. He felt devastated, especially knowing he had a mortgage to pay. It was a tough four years for him, but he eventually sought legal help.
His lawyers argued that his bank hadn’t done enough to protect him, considering his difficult situation. In the end, he managed to recover his £152,000 investment plus interest. Wayne learned a hard lesson but wants to share his story to help others avoid the same fate.
Rod Stewart had no idea his image was being misused, and he wasn’t involved in any way. It’s a reminder that scams can be really sophisticated and can happen to anyone.
