Romantic fraud: Has it happened to you?

Crying, he explained that he was part of an organized "family." Louise asked him, "You mean the Mafia?" He replied, "We don’t use that word," but explained that by falling in love with her, he had broken the circle of trust. He warned that his partners were threatening to kidnap Louise's kids. Continuing the far-fetched story, he said he'd been sent three symbolic bullets – one for Louise and two for her daughters. "I didn't really believe it," Louise says. "But a small part of me was thinking, 'What if it’s true?' " There were disturbing signs: Peter called to say a bomb had been placed under her car; phone calls from three different men updating her on Peter’s condition; a dead bird placed on her doorstep.

One day she learned through an acquaintance about another woman dating a man with a similar story. The two women met to compare photos: it was Peter. They went straight to the Calgary police, but because no crime had been committed, nothing could be done. Later, Peter told Louise that since she'd gone to the authorities, the "family" wanted retribution.

"I crumbled," Louise says. "I was crazy with fear." Terrified for her daughters, she sent them to live with their dad. Peter said that because she'd gone to the police, Revenue Canada was now after him for back taxes. Louise started giving Peter money, thousands of dollars at a time, whenever he asked for it. He told her they would buy a house together, but instead he forged her signature on the contract to sell her home and pocketed the profits.

Peter's arrest
Eventually Peter was arrested and convicted on unrelated charges of fraud, harassment and assault. But after violating his conditional sentence, he persuaded Louise to leave the province with him. Peter took her to Maple Ridge, B.C., where they hid out for three months before the RCMP tracked him down. He served time until August 2006, when he was released. His whereabouts today aren't known.

Louise now realizes this master manipulator duped not only herself but also the other woman, at least one of the men who phoned her with updates and many of his replica-car customers. Today, Louise has resumed her career and a normal family life. She's also dating again. But her financial losses total a staggering quarter-of-a-million dollars. At least she can say, "He has no hold over me anymore."

Louise gives talks on being a victor and has written a self-published book about the deception titled The Dandelion Spirit (available at www.dandelionspirit.com) "because dandelions are bloody determined," she says. Of her horrific ordeal, she says, "I compromised my values right from the start in little ways, because I loved the fact he kept telling me I was perfect. But I developed the assurance that I’m OK exactly the way I am. In that sense I didn’t lose anything. I gained."

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