A mother from OnlyFans stole more than £30,000 from Facebook men.
On Monday at Liverpool Crown Court, Leigh Dennis admitted guilt to two counts of fraud (March 6).
Dennis committed “romance fraud” by using social media sites, according to Rebecca Smith, the prosecutor.
She defrauded Colt Candeias between January and June 2021 of £33,672 and Aaron Carroll between January and July 2021 of $1,940.
Ms. Smith related how Mr. Candeias, a man with autism who has communication issues, struck up a conversation with 24-year-old Dennis.
The fraud began when Dennis asked him to pay for her food orders, then she began asking for money claiming she needed funds for council tax bills, rent, to buy gifts for friends, and because she was feeling “suicidal”.
The Wallasey, England, resident, 22, eventually persuaded him to give the man she claimed to be her landlord £5,000 at one point.
She also urged him to sign up for her OnlyFans account while they were talking about Facebook dating.
Her demands grew more complex, and she eventually persuaded him to send money to others while requesting items like nine iPhones, pet supplies, a new washing machine, money, and jewellery.
The court heard how Mr. Candeias used the inheritance he had received following his mother’s passing, and despite his attempts to arrange a meeting with Dennis, the two never actually met.
When Barclays noticed unusual activity on the account, they became suspicious and opened a fraud investigation before calling the police.
According to The Liverpool Echo, police searched Dennis’ address and discovered some of the Mr. Candeias’s purchases.
Additionally, when the victim’s phone was combed through, numerous messages from Dennis asking for money were discovered there.
Dennis’ phone was also examined, and messages from a different party regarding her receiving payment in exchange for having sex with a dog were discovered. Eleven extremely pornographic images were also recovered that showed her carrying out the activity.
Mr. Carroll and Dennis connected on Facebook dating in regards to the second victim, and he also became a member of her OnlyFans account.
Prior to Dennis reporting that her water had been turned off and that she was “on the verge of suicide,” Mr. Carroll refused to send any more money in July 2021.
On November 5, she claimed that she had always planned to meet Mr. Candeias and repay him, but she denied knowing Mr. Carroll, claiming that she had spoken to a lot of people and couldn’t possibly have remembered everyone.
Dennis, who had briefly lived in London, moved back to the Wirral when she started using drugs, according to Andrew McInnes, the defendant’s attorney.
She initially joined social media sites to date people, but she later found that OnlyFans allowed her to make money.
Dennis reportedly received gifts and cash at first, but “things clearly snowballed,” according to Mr. McInnes.
