A serial 'catfish' conman who used fake dating profiles to swindle women out of thousands of pounds and trick them into sex has been jailed for three years. Amir Tofangsazan, 33, posed as a barrister and trauma surgeon on apps including Tinder, Bumble and Plenty of Fish, using Facebook images of a male model to build his false identities.
Tofangsazan claimed to have an international property portfolio and a fleet of expensive cars, and asked victims for loans after gaining their trust. He also told some women he fantasised about watching them have sex with another man, before turning up himself for the arranged liaison. The court heard he stole the identities of two men to target at least 10 victims.
Prosecutor Helen Owen said Tofangsazan's fraud began at age 20 when he was sacked from the Financial Times for falsifying records. He later worked for a City security firm but was dismissed for deception, then stole the identities of two directors to fraudulently buy mobile phones. He then turned to romance frauds, using professional profiles to gain trust and obtain money.
Tofangsazan was caught breaching a criminal behaviour order in November 2019, days after release from prison, when he created new fake profiles on Tinder and Bumble. One victim recognised a photo he sent because she knew the model personally. He admitted six breaches, including using dating apps and unregistered devices.
Judge John Dodd QC described his behaviour as 'utterly abhorrent', striking at the very souls of victims. He noted Tofangsazan posed an ongoing risk to women. The defendant apologised in court, saying he was 'beginning to see he is the problem'. A medical assessment identified a possible personality disorder.
