A Tinder conwoman has been jailed for 26 months after fleecing a man out of more than £10,000 through an 11-month web of lies. Amie Ford, 30, of Mortimer Avenue, Westerhope, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the victim, who met Ford on the dating app in October 2017, was left traumatised and said the ordeal was "the hardest thing I've ever had to endure" and "a prolonged betrayal by someone I trusted and genuinely believed I was building a relationship with".
Elaborate deception over 11 months
Rachel Butt, prosecuting, said the offending ran between October 2017 and September 2018. Ford told the victim she and her aunt were stranded in Portugal following Ryanair flight disruption due to a strike and needed money to return to the UK. In reality, she had only booked one-way flights.
The victim sent her £691.41 for accommodation, flights and vehicle hire. Ford purported to repay the money with cheques that bounced, then persuaded him to transfer a further £1,060 by claiming her funds were frozen.
Fake solicitors and police correspondence
Ford provided forged correspondence purporting to be from solicitors concerning a compensation claim against Ryanair, telling the victim £6,500 had been secured. Believing this, he transferred £5,800 to her. She maintained the deception through fake communications from Lloyds Bank, NatWest Bank, IKANO Bank, Northumbria Police and her aunt.
In December 2017, the victim attended Lloyds Bank in Whickham, where staff told him the documents were not genuine. Ford then arranged for him to receive false communications from a purported Northumbria Police fraud investigation unit, reassuring him that all monies would be refunded.
Arrest after five years abroad
The victim disclosed bank details, passwords and identification documents, which were used to obtain financial products including a £6,500 Lloyds loan application, a payday loan and a £1,500 loan secured against his vehicle. Ford fled to China for five years and was arrested at Newcastle International Airport in July 2023 after returning from Lanzarote.
Recorder Nick Turner told Ford: "They were calculated cynical and heartless. He met you on Tinder and became very fond of you, a fact you exploited mercilessly." He added: "The only word I can find to describe this behaviour is heartless. You quickly identified him as someone ripe for exploitation. You showed him no mercy."
Ian Hudson, defending, said Ford is a full-time carer for her grandmother and helps with her autistic nephew. The court heard she went to China after the fraud, worked in teaching and is now studying.
