David Beckham’s sister, 33, is said to have plugged the scheme online and a frustrated punter hit out on Twitter at the weekend.
Although there is no suggestion Joanne was involved in the fraud, former Chelsea footballer Leon Knight slammed her and demanded his money back.
He fumed: “You and your mate owe me 50k and I want my money. All the games and running and hiding stops today @joannebeckham @WeAreYourCity [sic].”
According to reports the betting firm ‘vanished’ – along with all of its customers’ investments.
Leon later added: “I like David Beckham as a person and a footballer but his sister is a d***head [sic].”
Joanne, who previously dated footballers Jermiane Defoe and Dwight Yorke, is said to be furiously denying any involvement in the scam.
A source told The Sun: “She trusted this guy and feels just as misled and wronged as anyone else. She is mortified by the allegations and is co-operating with the authorities.”
It’s alleged that an ex-boyfriend of Joanne’s, Adrian Taylor, is at the helm of the fraudulent scheme, which aimed to dupe UK-based American banks.
Another insider told the Mirror: “Adrian was a previous boyfriend and Joanne is now co-operating with the authorities and offering whatever help she can.
“She clearly feels upset by it all and just wants to provide the assistance she can and then move on.”