Scam Artist Posed as Ritchie Blackmore to Steal Almost $184,000

One of Ritchie Blackmore’s former classmates has been scammed out of almost $184,000 by someone pretending to be the former Deep Purple cofounder.

Valerie Horwood, a terminally ill cancer patient, was conned into sending a series of Apple gift cards over a period of three years. The fake Blackmore connected with Horwood through Facebook then began requesting money for fake investments through messaging apps. The gift cards can be redeemed at many retail outlets and supermarkets.

“My mum is not a stupid old lady,” Horwood’s daughter Debbie told The Sun. “She is very streetwise and very switched on. She was probably quite lonely. She was enjoying the chats that they were having. It is quite heartbreaking that she was sucked in.”

READ MORE: Ritchie Blackmore’s Favorite Band Is One We Never Would’ve Guessed

The con was only discovered when Horwood was forced to ask her family for money in order to pay bills. Her worried daughter accessed Horwood’s bank account only to discover that her life savings had vanished.

“She was pulled into a false sense of security thinking she had this really good friend who was a famous person,” Debbie said. “She really did not believe us when we told her that it was a scam.”

As Horwood’s financial situation worsened, the 81-year-old Fleet, Hampshire, resident became so distraught that she reportedly attempted suicide. “Her world just completely fell apart,” Debbie added. “She couldn’t comprehend what had happened. It is a hard thing to take on that you have just given all of your money away to a scammer.”

The case is now under investigation by local police in the U.K. In the meantime, a fundraising page has been launched to help restore Horwood’s life savings. She is suffering from cancer of the pancreas, liver and spleen.

“We are fighting for justice for my mum and to recoup her money so that she can decide what she wants to do with it in her time left,” Debbie said. “My mum may need to go to a nursing home soon and that’s what she could be using her money for – not for some scammers to go and buy a Rolex watch or a smart car.”