While the ‘Tinder Swindler’ might have seemed like something only one person could surely get away with, the UK seems to have its very own.
Women who Peter Gray defrauded out of about £80,000 have come forward to share their experiences.
The 35-year-old was sentenced to 56 months in prison in February and given restraining orders in relation to the four victims.
Meeting the women on Tinder, the West Yorkshire man wooed them with unexpected presents and kindness. But it soon became clear things just ‘weren’t quite right’.
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Because, while Gray didn’t directly ask them for cash, he sneakily stole their identities instead.
Jessica (not her real name) told BBC Radio 5 Live how she met him on the app and he was ‘a good listener and everything [she] needed at the time’, before explaining how he did it.
On their third date, she was at his apartment and nipped off to use the bathroom.
"I left my bag on his dining table, he went in my bag and took pictures of my driving licence and both my bank cards," she said.
The woman later discovered how loans up to the value of £9,000 had been taken out in her name. And despite him offering to pay back over time when she confronted him, she instead went to police.
Jessica said: “I didn't want to be tied to this guy for five years because I barely even knew him.”
Another woman, Hannah, described her Tinder match as initially ‘calm and reassuring’ but something just ‘didn’t sit right’.
And a week later, when Hannah decided to call it off, she'd received an acceptance letter for a loan of £20,000 in her name.
The pair rekindled their relationship a few months later after Gray flooded her with love and presents, with Hannah even becoming pregnant with his baby, but she ended up calling it quits again.
“I think the alarm bells and red flags were just waving high," Hannah added.
"There's no way that I'm going to let a child be brought up anywhere near such a vile human."
Gray did it again in 2020 when he matched with ‘Elizabeth’ and sent her flowers – even though she’d never revealed where she lived.
She said: “Red flags popped up, but I just kept thinking, stop being silly, you need to be going for a guy that treats you nice."
But just two days before she was set to move into her new home, Elizabeth’s mortgage was cancelled. That’s because Gray had used her driving licence to secure a loan of around £10,000.
Jessica said Gray’s actions ‘totally ruined her life’ as Elizabeth is now ‘constantly’ questioning people.
In a statement, Tinder said it "acts to help prevent and warn users of potential scams or fraud by using AI tools to detect words and phrases and proactively intervene."
"We have implemented various ways to warn users of potential scams or fraud, from in-app features to pop-up messages and education," a spokesperson said to LADbible Group.
"All users can request that their match be photo-verified prior to messaging. We also partner with non-governmental organisations and local authorities to promote awareness of online fraud."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, you can contact Victim Support on 08 08 16 89 111, start a live chat, or visit the website, all of which are available 24 hours seven days a week.
Topics: Tinder, Sex and Relationships, Crime, UK News
Jess Battison