Man Who Scammed Gwinnett Woman For $80K In Online Romance Fraud Arrested

The man who, police say, scammed a woman out of $80,000 in an online romance fraud, has been arrested in Franklin, Tennesse.​

By John Barker, Patch Staff

DULUTH, GA — The man who, police say, scammed a woman out of $80,000 in an online romance fraud, has been arrested in Franklin, Tennessee.

Late yesterday evening, John Martin Hill, 35, was booked into the Williamson County Jail at approximately 10 p.m. on a Gwinnett County warrant.

An Alpharetta woman Hill at an online dating website and was defrauded more than $80,000. The woman told Gwinnett County Police that after she met him on Match.com, they met the same day. The man told the woman that he was a millionaire. During their short romance, he convinced her that they were in love and wanted to buy a house together. They went house-hunting and selected a home they were interested in. Within a week of knowing one another, they agreed to get married.

According to police, the woman gave the man more than $80,000 to use toward the purchase of a house and furniture. Following the exchange of money, the man ceased all contact.

Police say since the original media release was published, they have heard from a few other women who stated that they were either in a relationship with Hill or knew someone who was romantically involved with him.

“By sharing this story, it is our hope that he is not able to victimize any other women using this scam,” police said in a press release. “When meeting someone online, be very cautious sharing personal information, financial information, or cash with someone in the early stages of a relationship. These types of con men are very good at manipulating their victims. They tend to say everything that a woman wants to hear.

“We are thankful that the victim in our case came forward and reported this crime,” police said. “If any other women have been victimized by Hill, we encourage them to contact their local police department.”