Nigerian fraudster targets woman for wedding dress (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Catterick woman posted dress to Africa

8:00am Friday 10th August 2012 in News By Joe Willis, Regional Chief Reporter

AN online fraudster who left a bride counting the cost after trying to sell her wedding dress has apologised to his victim, saying he is “not a bad man”.

But newlywed Sarah-Jane Green remains at least £400 out of pocket after paying more than £100 to post the dress to the Nigerian conman.

Mrs Green, 33, realised she was the victim of a crime hours after leaving the dress at the post office in Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire.

However, officials refused to stop the dress being sent to Africa, despite the package remaining in the branch.

She said: “I feel absolutely heartbroken.

“It was such a hard decision to sell it in the first place and now I have got no dress and have spent £105 on postage.

“I contacted the police and the post office, but nobody was able to help me.”

The mother-of-four had wanted to keep the handmade dress after marrying fiancee David last month.

But she decided to sell it because she needed money to pay household bills.

The dress was advertised on the Gumtree website for £300.

The fraudster said he wanted to buy it, then sent a fake Paypal email saying the money had been deposited and would be released into Mrs Green’s account once the item had been posted.

It was only after posting the dress that the mother-of-four realised she had been conned.

In frustration, Mrs Green emailed the fraudster telling him what she thought of him.

He replied: “Am sorry, (I) am not a bad guy. I don’t know why am doing all this and I want to change, but it’s difficult to do... who is gonna feed me?

“I have a conscience for what am doing and I fear God.

I know if I don’t stop I will end up in hell.”

The conman said he would return the dress, although Mrs Green is not hopeful the pledge is genuine.

Police said officers contacted the post office to stop the package, but were told they needed a Home Office warrant.

The officer was told a warrant was unlikely to be issued for a wedding dress.