Romance fraudster who conned women out of £40,000 back on streets after less then five months in prison

The convicted con artist fabricated phone conversations with solicitors, relatives and friends to gain his victims' sympathy and extract money from them.

One of those he targeted, Fiona Mulkerrins-Dixon, 37, is now speaking publicly about her experience to warn other women.

"Ben is a very evil and sick man," she said. "He is dangerous and is now out on the streets."

Ms Mulkerrins-Dixon first encountered Millin in July 2021 while both were employed at a marketing company in Exeter.

At a work social gathering, he immediately began constructing an intricate false narrative about his life.

He invented a story about being born in Naples and later adopted following his biological father's death in a road accident. He also claimed a decade-long relationship had ended due to his partner's infidelity.

"I thought we were two broken souls supporting one another, lifting each other up through these horrible hard times and loving each other through it," Ms Mulkerrins-Dixon said.

She described him as "incredibly convincing" and felt sympathy because she had endured similar hardships to those he fabricated.

By November 2021, Millin began requesting substantial sums, falsely claiming his bank accounts had been frozen due to fraud. She ultimately handed over £5,500, everything she possessed.

The truth emerged in April 2022 when the couple had arranged a trip to London together. Millin told her he had a job interview in Bristol that morning, then went silent.

Terrified he had suffered a cardiac arrest, Ms Mulkerrins-Dixon contacted hospitals and reported him missing to police.

In reality, he was appearing at Taunton Crown Court for a hearing related to an earlier fraud committed between 2019 and 2020, in which he had stolen £20,000 from another woman.

"I imploded and had the biggest panic attack. The truth hit me like a bomb. I felt so let down and had lost all hope," she said.

Ms Mulkerrins-Dixon has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and remains unable to work.

"He completely broke me — I haven't been living the past four years, I have been merely surviving," she said.

Detective Constable Claire Morgan, who led the investigation, described Millin as "one of the most prolific" offenders she has encountered in her 18-year career.

"Ben Millin is by far the most complex character I have met in regards to the deceit and lies he managed to maintain," she said. "He was a master of manipulation."

The detective believes additional victims have yet to come forward and urged anyone affected to contact police.

"Sadly, I have no doubt there will be other victims of romance fraud out there who will read their powerful testimonies and they will be going through the exact same pain and trauma," Det Con Morgan said.

Millin has been issued with a restraining order barring him from contacting any of his four known victims.

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