A Poulton woman became so infatuated with a man she met on an Internet dating site she stole over half a million pounds to send to him.



Besotted 54 year old Pamela Wareing stole the money over a 46 day period from the client account of the solicitor’s firm where she was regarded as a loyal and long standing employee.
Using her post as contracts manager she made ÂŁ529,473-40 in cash transactions to a bank in Dubai.
She thought she was sending the money to her new online love who said he was an American serviceman who had promised to set up home with her and marry her.
Wareing a mother of one from Brompton Road,Poulton le Fylde near Blackpool ,Lancs admitted the theft when she appeared before magistrates in Blackpool yesterday.
The money was taken from Eastham’s solicitors of Church Street,Blackpool where she had worked for over 20 years.The firm specialises in personal injury and conveyancy work.
Representatives of the firm were present at court to watch Wareing in the dock.
Magistrates decided the case involved too much money for them to sentence her and sent the case to Preston Crown Court.
Wareing met the what turned out to be an Internet con-man after she and her husband parted.He claimed to have been a member of the USA forces and had served in Afghanistan.
The money was in the Dubai account for just seconds before it was move elsewhere in automated transactions.
Pam Smith ,prosecuting,said that Wareing had betrayed a “high position of trust at the office where she worked.”
“She faces up to six year imprisonment.”
Her lawyer Brett Chappell told the court:”This is a tragedy for all concerned-my client and her employer.”
“She accepted her culpability during long interviews at the police station.She was preyed on by scam artist and was as much victim as Easthams.”