London - Richard Branson, billionaire
founder of the Virgin group, has revealed he was targeted by a
fraudster posing as Britain's defence minister who tried to get
him to contribute $5 million to a supposed secret ransom
payment.
Appealing for information to help identify the conman,
Branson said he suspected the same person had later impersonated
him to steal $2 million from a friend of his by pretending to
raise funds for people affected by Hurricane Irma.
"This story sounds like it has come straight out of a John
le Carre book or a James Bond film, but it is sadly all true,"
Branson wrote in a blog.
Instantly recognisable with his wavy blond hair and beard,
Branson is one of Britain's best-known businessmen. The Virgin
brand is licensed for use by a range of businesses from airlines
to train companies to telecoms and gyms.
Branson wrote that six months ago, after an elaborate set-up
involving a note on fake government notepaper, he spoke on the
phone to someone purporting to be Defence Secretary Michael
Fallon.
The man told Branson that a British diplomat had been
kidnapped and was being held for ransom by terrorists.
He said that while the government did not pay ransoms, there
was a particularly sensitive reason why the diplomat had to be
saved, and the government was confidentially asking a syndicate
of British business people to step in.
"I was asked to contribute $5 million of the ransom money,
which he assured me the British government would find a way of
paying back," Branson wrote.
Feeling suspicious, Branson checked with the government and
was told that Fallon had not spoken to him. The matter was
reported to the police.
Six months on, Branson learnt that a friend, whom he
described as a very successful businessman in the United States,
had been called by a conman posing as him.
"When the call happened, the conman did an extremely
accurate impression of me and spun a big lie about urgently
needing a loan while I was trying to mobilise aid in the BVI
(British Virgin Islands)," he wrote.
Branson owns a small island in the BVI archipelago which, as
was well publicised, was devastated by Hurricane Irma. The
caller took advantage of that context.
"They claimed I couldn’t get hold of my bank in the UK
because I didn’t have any communications going to Europe and I’d
only just managed to make a satellite call to the businessman in
America," Branson wrote.
"The business person, incredibly graciously, gave $2
million, which promptly disappeared."
A spokesman for Fallon said he was aware of two attempts,
one not involving Branson, to impersonate the minister for
illicit gain, and Fallon's office were assisting the police in
their efforts to try to catch those reponsible.