'A conman stole my money and bought his wife a 10-carat diamond ring'

February 24, 2026

A transnational organized crime group known as The Travelling Conmen, consisting of UK and Irish nationals, has been systematically defrauding Americans through elaborate construction scams that have cost victims hundreds of thousands to nearly a million dollars each. The perpetrators typically approach homeowners offering construction services, then escalate demands for payment through fabricated emergencies, threats, and promises of repayment that never materialize, with some scammers allegedly using stolen funds to purchase luxury items like diamond jewelry. Several victims describe losing life savings and college funds, with one New York woman losing nearly $1 million after being coerced into sending money to jewelers in Manhattan's Diamond District.

Who is affected

Jane, a New York woman who lost nearly $1 million
Ginia Hines from Connecticut who lost $50,000 intended for her son's college education
Michael Berard from Swansea, Massachusetts who lost $500,000
Numerous other unnamed victims across the United States
The families and children of victims, including Jane's children who were allegedly threatened
Ginia Hines' son who lost his university fund

What action is being taken

The FBI has designated The Travelling Conmen as a transnational organized crime group
BBC Spotlight NI is conducting an investigation into the group
FBI Special Agent Ethan Via is receiving and responding to phone calls from new victims
Some gang members are currently serving prison sentences (James Dinnigan and Elijah Gavin are in custody)

Why it matters

This matters because it exposes a sophisticated international fraud operation that is systematically targeting vulnerable homeowners and causing devastating financial and psychological harm to victims who lose life savings, educational funds, and financial security. The FBI's designation of the group as transnational organized crime demonstrates the serious scale of the criminal enterprise, while the perpetrators' continued operations despite some arrests indicate an ongoing threat to communities. The psychological manipulation tactics used by the scammers, including building false trust through religious references and exploiting victims' anxieties, reveal how even cautious individuals can fall victim to elaborate deception schemes.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC