A British man who conned a millionaire he met on Tinder out of almost £150,000 has been jailed for four years after being found guilty of fraud.
Richard Dexter, 38, from Portsmouth, claimed to have been a successful businessman on the verge of a 'big windfall' when he convinced Amrita Sebastian, who he met on Tinder in 2015, to send him a series of payments totalling £141,500 for a variety of different business ventures the prosecution described as being 'complete fabrications.'
According to the BBC the court heard that the 'charming' Dexter gained Sebastian's trust by sharing 'intimate information' with her, before conning her out of several payments of tens of thousands of pounds throughout 2015 and 2016.
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His fake schemes included a biomedical tech product he claimed was worth £6.8 million, a £12 million licensing deal with American conglomerate 3M, and even deals with Hollywood studios.
The con man also reportedly claimed to have had £4.2 million tied up in an investment account, when in reality that account was owned by a friend and contained just 37p.
Portsmouth Crown Court heard Dexter blew Sebastian's money on 'relatively high living,' including paying £15,000 to a classic car company, with prosecutors stating he even pursued Sebastian for cash while she lay ill in hospital.
'There was absolutely no sign of you apologising to [Miss Sebastian] and there's little sign of any remorse. What you did affected her mental health and you have never spared a thought for her,' Judge Mousley QC said at a sentencing hearing this week.
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'You are someone who shows no hesitation in resorting to lies with an ease that is almost breath taking.'
Speaking in court, Dexter said 'I'm very, very sorry to the point that I think about it every day and have done for seven years. I can't justify what I did.'
Sebastian, who is based in Dubai, described Dexter as 'desperate' for money, telling the court 'because he had so much of my money already I felt trapped to keep him onside' and accusing him of 'leading her along.'
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During the trial a former business associate described the father of two as 'constantly boasting and [trying] to portray himself as a success.'
The fraudster even took money from his grandmother, who the Daily Mail reports testified that he would often ask her to transfer him £10 claiming that his 'card wasn't working.'
A schedule for Dexter to repay Sebastian's money is to be set at a separate hearing in April.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, you can contact Victim Support on 08 08 16 89 111, start a live chat, or visit the website, all of which are available 24 hours seven days a week.
Hannah Smith