ROBERT Madejski made Megan Clarke feel like he was the man of her dreams.
But behind the gifts and sweet promises, he was creating lies that left her heartbroken and £30,000 in debt.
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Robert Madejski, also known by the alias Lord Bertie Underwood, is a serial fraudster, who deceived multiple victims by creating false identities and stories.
He posed as a wealthy aristocrat, Lord Bertie Underwood, to lure Megan Clarke into a romance.
Over time, he scammed her by secretly taking out credit in her name, leaving her £30,000 in debt.
Meeting Megan Clarke
In 2017 he met Megan Clarke when she was working as a bar manager on the Isle of Wight.
Robert walked into the bar on a quiet summer evening and Megan was immediately drawn to him.
She described him as “tall, dark, handsome, well-dressed”.
He introduced himself as Bertie Underwood, claiming to be a horologist who had recently moved to the island from the mainland.
After a few days, he sent her a large bouquet of flowers and asked her out on a date.
First date
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Their first date was an extravagant dinner at a fancy restaurant, where he charmed her with champagne and a luxurious three-course meal.
He also claimed to be a lord, sharing stories of his aristocratic background and wealth.
Megan recalled: “He also told me he was a lord, it was something he was open about.
“He said his great great grandad had invented the Underwood typewriter and that’s where his name and money had
come from.”
Their relationship progressed rapidly.
He showered Megan with expensive gifts, including a car and a puppy, and within a few months, Megan moved into his three-story home, which he claimed to have bought at auction.
Six months into their relationship, Bertie proposed with a five-carat Cartier diamond ring on Christmas, and they began planning their wedding.
However, behind the charm, he was secretly taking out loans and credit cards in her name.
This person who was my world was never a real person. None of it was real.
Megan Clarke
Getting caught
Robert was caught when Megan began noticing suspicious activities in their relationship.
A year into their romance, just two months before their wedding, she found several red flags, including a large amount of mail addressed to unknown names at their home.
She started to search through his office and discovered multiple bank cards under different names.
When she confronted him, his defensive reaction raised more doubts.
She said: “I asked Bertie and his attitude changed instantly.
“He shut it down quite quickly and got very defensive and irate.
“It’s definitely when I started questioning everything.”
Megan began researching the names she found and discovered that Bertie Underwood was one of many aliases he had used in his long history of fraud.
After realising the truth, Megan reported him to the police.
Cheating on Megan
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After Megan discovered his true identity as a serial fraudster, she also learned that he had been cheating throughout their relationship.
Her mother posted a warning on Facebook about his scams, which quickly went viral.
She then was contacted by several men who revealed they had been involved with him.
Megan said: “I had multiple men contact me to tell me they had been sleeping with him.
“Not only was he cheating on me, he was doing it in my bed, with men.
“This person who was my world was never a real person.
“None of it was real.
“He must have never had any intention of marrying me.”
Although he was not convicted for the crimes he committed against her, Robert was arrested and convicted on unrelated fraud charges involving another victim.
He was sentenced to five years in prison, but in 2022, he managed to escape and is still on the run.
