A romance fraudster who posed as a seriously ill woman to con a man out of £9,165 has been spared jail. Adam Mowle, 34, of Harwich, Essex, admitted acquiring criminal property by fraud between January and December 2019 at Ipswich Magistrates' Court.
Mowle set up a fake Tinder profile under the name Jenna Leigh Smith and convinced his victim they were in a long-term relationship. He exchanged thousands of messages and even used a woman’s voice on phone calls, but always made excuses to avoid meeting in person, including claiming her father had cancer.
The victim, believing he was helping his partner, made 78 payments totalling £9,165 over ten months. Mowle spent the money on his horse and living expenses. The court heard evidence of other payments suggesting additional victims were too embarrassed to come forward.
When the victim realised he had been defrauded, he turned to gambling in an attempt to recoup his losses, ending up £93,000 further out of pocket. Mowle was given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years and ordered to pay £9,165 compensation, £500 prosecution costs, and a £187 victim surcharge, as well as 25 days of rehabilitation.
