'Your gut feeling kept saying something isn't right, there's a dark side to him - I was right'
07.05.2024 - 04:39
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A man dubbed the 'UK's Tinder Swindler' has been convicted of conning women out of £80,000 using a chilling method that left their lives in tatters.
Peter Gray, 35, portrayed himself as the perfect partner on Tinder, lavishing his dates with unexpected gifts and seemingly kind gestures. However, the women he ensnared sensed something sinister beneath the surface, each feeling that all was not as it seemed.
Gray's deceitful tactics led to him defrauding four women of approximately £80,000, resulting in a 56-month prison sentence handed down in February. Notably, Gray's approach differed from typical romance scams; he never overtly requested money but instead covertly stole their identities to commit fraud, reports the Mirror.
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One victim, referred to as Jessica to protect her identity, recounted her ordeal to BBC Radio 5 Live. She met Gray, from West Yorkshire, on the dating app in 2018 after ending a long-term relationship and found him to be "a good listener and everything I needed at the time".
It wasn't until a few weeks after she ceased contact with him that Jessica noticed a suspicious transaction of just under £500 from her account, followed by another similar withdrawal the next day. She was horrified to discover loans amounting to £9,000 had been taken out in her name.
During their third date at his flat, Jessica stepped away to use the bathroom, leaving her handbag and purse within reach. It was then that Gray took advantage of her absence.
"I left my bag on his dining table, he went in my bag and took pictures of my driving licence and both my bank cards," she disclosed.
She revealed that a phone call to the loan company