Women who were scammed by a fraudster they met on a dating app have issued warnings regarding ‘red flags’ and why you should always trust your ‘gut feelings’.
Earlier this year, 35-year-old Peter Gray was sentenced to 56 months in prison after being found guilty of stealing women’s identities and taking out loans in their names.
It’s said that the West Yorkshire man’s behaviour first dated back to 2018, when he matched with a woman on the popular dating app Tinder.
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Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, the victim - who the BBC named as Jessica - claimed to have met Peter on the platform after exiting a six-year relationship.
She told broadcaster Clare McDonnell that the man was a ‘good listener’ and that he was ‘everything’ she needed at the time.
However, on their third date, Peter, from Mirfield, allegedly snuck into her bag and took photos of her driving license and bank cards while she was in the bathroom.
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Jessica later discovered loans up to the value of £9,000 had been taken out in her name.
She also noticed £1,000 was missing from her bank account.
According to the BBC, the woman confronted the fraudster and he offered to pay the money back over time. However, Jessica declined as she ‘didn’t want to be tied’ to him for the next five years.
She instead phoned the police, with her recently claiming that the ordeal has ‘totally ruined her life’.
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Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident as another woman named Hannah suffered a similar fate.
Upon matching with the scammer, Hannah claimed he was ‘calming and reassuring’ but admitted something ‘didn’t sit right’.
It’s said that she later called off the relationship after she received an acceptance letter for a loan of £20,000 in her name.
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Months after the incident, Peter and Hannah rekindled their romance but ‘alarm bells’ were still ringing.
Despite understanding that ‘red flags were waving high’, Hannah became pregnant with Peter’s baby.
It’s said her sister then looked into the perpetrator’s past and one of his ex-partners warned her about his antics.
“There's no way that I'm going to let a child be brought up anywhere near such a vile human,” Hannah said. “My world had just literally broken apart in front of my eyes in that half an hour conversation.”
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Before being reprimanded, Peter scammed a third woman, known as Elizabeth.
As per the publication, Elizabeth also matched with the man on a dating app and later received flowers on her doorstep despite not giving him her address.
“Red flags popped up, but I just kept thinking, ‘stop being silly, you need to be going for a guy that treats you nice’," she admitted.
In a statement issued to Tyla, a spokesperson for Tinder said: “The unfortunate reality is that scammers may pull on the heartstrings and prey on those looking for love or connection - not just on dating apps but on all online platforms.
“Tinder acts to help prevent and warn users of potential scams or fraud by using AI tools to detect words and phrases and proactively intervene.
“We have implemented various ways to warn users of potential scams or fraud, from in-app features to popup messages and education.
"We encourage our users to look for the ‘blue tick’, which indicates that the user’s age and likeness have been verified through our Photo and ID Verification programmes, which require users to submit an official document (either passport or driving license).”
They added that all users can request that their match be photo-verified prior to messaging.
“We also partner with NGOs and local authorities to promote awareness of online fraud,” they added.
Tinder has a multitude of safety features that are available for all in-app users - one of which is the option to video chat so that you can chat with potential partners before meeting in real life.
Another is incognito mode which allows users to ‘take complete control over who sees you while scrolling through profiles on Tinder.’
Other safety features include the previously-mentioned ID Verification and Photo programmes as well as the ability to block profiles, contacts and the ability to report offensive messages.
Things to look out for and be aware of when it comes to romance scammers:
- Requests for money from someone you have never met in person
- Always speak to family or friends, and don't feel embarrassed to discuss it
- Carry out reverse image searches on profile pictures to see if they've been stolen from someone else
- Monitor your credit report
Topics: Crime, True Crime, Tinder, Sex and Relationships, Money