The imitation game: how voice-impression con men targeted Richard Branson - and made millions
‘I was asked to contribute US$5m of the ransom money, which he assured me the British government would find a way of paying back’
Billionaire Sir Richard Branson has revealed he was the target of two elaborate confidence tricks – one involving someone posing as the British defence secretary, Sir Michael Fallon, in a phone call.
In another con, a “very successful” US business associate was swindled out of US$2 million by someone posing as Branson himself
“This story sounds like it has come straight out of a John le Carré book or a James Bond film, but it is sadly all true,” the Virgin tycoon said.
Branson said the first attempted scam began when he received a letter six months ago, on what appeared to be official government notepaper, requesting an urgent phone call with Fallon.
I had to tell him specific details of our last get-together before he was convinced it was really me and not the con man. We quickly realised he had been duped
“He told me that British laws prevented the government from paying out ransoms, which he normally completely concurred with,” Branson said in a blog describing the attempted scam.