Tuesday 15 March 2022, 10am-12.30pm (GMT)
Thank you to everyone who joined us virtually for an extraordinary SASIG Workshop on the topic of romance fraud – a crime where both men and women are targeted, when social standing and education are no defence, and which causes real loss and huge emotional pain to those at the receiving end.
Recent cases in the Press, and the highly popular Netflix series The Tinder Swindler, have highlighted this growing trend in cybercrime. Our prestigious speakers generously offered their time, wisdom, and first-hand experience to enable us to burrow deeper into this important topic.
- We heard from victims about their experiences and subsequent emotions. Our own Chairman Martin Smith MBE will lead this discussion; see his blog at #9 – January 2020 “The con that nearly did for me” – for a preview of the bromance fraud he suffered 25 years ago.
- We were joined by Cecilie Fjellhøy, survivor of the Tinder Swindler (as seen on Netflix), and Founder of action:reaction, who talked about how her experience had impacted her.
- We considered the various techniques used and abused by the fiendish lotharios.
- Finally, we examined what can be done to prevent this crime, and what individuals can do to protect themselves against attack.
“If running this session educates just one person enough for them to avoid falling down the same dark rabbit hole as I did, then it will be worth it.” – Martin Smith MBE
All SASIG events operate under Chatham House Rule.
Chaired by
Martin Smith MBE (info), Chairman & Founder, The SASIG
Introduction by
Cecilie Fjellhøy Survivor of the Tinder Swindler (as seen on Netflix) and Founder, action:reaction
Panellists:
Dr Hannah Shimko, Communications and Policy Director, Online Dating Association
Detective Chief Superintendent Matthew Bradford, Head of Economic Crime Directorate, City of London Police
Becky Holmes, Author of ‘Keanu Reeves Is Not In Love With You’
Sam Cooper, Founder / Director, Rogue Daters
Nick Tsinonis, Co-Founder, Scamalytics
Dr Elisabeth Carter, Associate Professor of Criminology, Kingston University, London
Paul Maskall, Fraud and Cybercrime Prevention Manager, Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU), UK Finance
With contributions from victims
