Plenty of Fish: Romance fraudster jailed for ten years

A British court jailed a man for ten years after he defrauded two women of more than £210,000. One of them had met him on Plenty of Fish.

This concerns misuse by other users, not the service's own security, and does not count in the score.

What happened

According to Sky News, a court in England sentenced a man in July 2020 to ten years in prison for fraud and other offences against women he had formed relationships with. One of the women had met him on Plenty of Fish. Prosecutors described how he built trust and then persuaded the women to hand over large sums, including proceeds from selling a home. The two women together lost more than £210,000 – the figure covers both victims, not only the contact made on Plenty of Fish. A third woman had also put her home up for sale before police stepped in.

What is documented

• Sky News reported the sentencing on 6 July 2020.
• The court imposed a ten-year prison sentence.
• One victim had met the offender on Plenty of Fish.
• Prosecutors put the combined losses of the two women at more than £210,000.
• The sentence covered fraud, theft and other offences.

What has not been established

• How much of the loss relates to the contact made on Plenty of Fish.
• Whether the platform had earlier warnings about the profile.
• Whether specific platform safeguards could have prevented the offences.

What this means for you

1. Never transfer large sums or sell property at the request of a new partner.
2. Get independent advice before financial decisions linked to a new relationship.
3. Report financial pressure and suspected fraud to the app and the police.