Tinder: Man sentenced to 2.5 years for defrauding women he met

A Swedish district court sentenced a man to two years and six months in prison for fraud and attempted extortion. Several of the victims were women he had met online, according to TV4 through Tinder.

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

What happened

The man became known after a Swedish TV4 documentary in which several women described being deceived by him. According to TV4, he presented himself as a successful businessman and found his victims through the dating app Tinder. After the documentary he was charged. On 28 May 2024, Falun District Court convicted him of three counts of aggravated fraud, two counts of fraud, unlawful dispossession, attempted extortion and aggravated bookkeeping crime. He was sentenced to two years and six months in prison, banned from running a business for five years and ordered to pay a total of two million kronor in damages. The court said several of the crimes targeted women he had met online, who then handed over large sums of money.

What is documented

• Falun District Court (press release, cases B 1260-24 and B 1845-22): two years and six months in prison, five-year trading ban, SEK 2 million in total damages.
• Falun District Court: the judge said the man had acted "cunningly and in a planned way" (translated).
• TV4: he presented himself as a successful businessman and found his victims through the dating app Tinder.

What has not been established

• Whether the verdict was appealed; it was not final at the time of the reports.
• Whether the victims have received the damages.

What this means for you

1. Be cautious if someone you met on an app quickly asks you to take out loans or transfer money.
2. Check claims about wealth or business success independently before trusting them.
3. Report attempts at fraud or extortion to the police and keep all messages as evidence.