Conman and wannabe MI6 agent must repay £125k to romance scam victim

The UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) says a fraudster who claimed to be part of MI6 must repay £125,000 ($168,000) to a former love interest that he conned.

Mark Acklom, 52, was described as "a calculating, persistent fraudster" who, in this case, deceived a woman he promised to marry into lending him money for renovations on properties he did not own.

Acklom convinced Carolyn Woods in 2012 that he was both a Swiss investment banker and an MI6 agent, and had celebrity friends with whom he regularly spoke.

In reality, the man was not an international banker, nor was he in espionage, and his fabled friendships with British celebrities such as Chris Evans were allegedly also fabricated.

He also did not have a string of properties in need of renovation. He left Woods penniless.

Acklom pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud worth £300,000 ($403,000 ...