Speaking with The New Zealand Herald, a distraught Lea recounted: "I thought, 'What is Martin doing in New Zealand in Matakana on a bike rally when he told me he was lying in a hospital bed in Johannesburg after a mild heart attack?'".
However, the fake Martin fed Lea alleged personal details and even used Artificial Intelligence to leave voicemails mimicking Martin's voice.
She received a message from someone purporting to be Martin's agent, claiming that Martin liked Lea's comments and wanted to chat with her.
Over two years, Lea was duped into moving to New Zealand, Henderson's homeland, to be near him, convinced they would marry and start a family together.
Her suspicions were aroused when a supposed rendezvous at Auckland Airport on New Year's Eve fell through, with "Martin" claiming a health emergency in South Africa.
