A woman who went on a lonely hearts site has revealed how she was swindled out of £20,000 by a con man pretending he needed the money to treat his ‘bad heart’.
Suzanne Famula, 39, is now calling for new laws to make romance fraud a specific crime after being fleeced by convicted fraudster Christopher Harris.
Car salesman Harris was jailed for 29 months after pleading guilty to fraud by false representation and failing to answer bail, at St Albans Crown Court in Hertfordshire in February last year.
Harris told hairdresser Ms Famula, from Baldock in Hertfordshire, he needed treatment for various ailments and secured payments worth hundreds of pounds.
The pair first connected on dating app Hinge in November 2020 before becoming a couple the following April.
Suzanne Famula has issued a warning after being scammed by fraudster Christopher Harris
Suzanne Famula, from Baldock in Hertfordshire, handed over more than £20,000
Harris, who has 16 past convictions including nine fraud-related cases, insisted he required private care for health issues such as a heart condition.
Ms Famula first handed over £400 on condition he return it once he himself got, but he kept on asking for follow-up hand-outs – claiming he was too unwell to work and needed the cash for medical expenses, bills and mortgage repayments.
She said: ‘He’d ask for small amounts at a time but it quickly added up and before I knew it, I’d given him all my savings.’
They stayed together for five months before she called police, having become concerned he was conning her – and now wants more support for similar victims.
She had given him £20,810 by then, saying: ‘When I realised I’d been conned, I felt stupid, embarrassed, ashamed.
‘Every worst thing you could think about yourself, I felt it.’
She recalled feeling especially vulnerable when the pair first met, after her father recently had a stroke and a close friend died.
Ms Famula said: ‘It is difficult now to say what I saw in him.
Ms Famula, 39, is warning other people not to fall prey to such swindlers
She is also calling for laws to be tightened up to make romance fraud a specific crime
‘We seemed to have the same morals. We had been through similar traumas – he told me he had a twin brother who died when they were 12 but I now know that was a lie.
‘He seemed kind and caring. It was lockdown, so we used to go on walks and get to know each other.
‘I confided in him about losing my mum and my dad’s stroke, so he seized on my vulnerability.’
She believes he judged how much money she had when confiding in him about wanting to buy a new car.
She added: ‘He was clever – he always had a back story and reason why he needed money.
‘It would be £100 here and there. The most I ever sent him in one go was £1,200, which he said he needed for a hospital procedure.
‘I asked for my money back several times but every time he had a reason why he couldn’t and promised he would pay me back eventually.’
Her bank repaid the money she lost but she fears other victims could miss out.
Suzanne Famula first gave Christopher Harris £400 – but many more requests followed
Hairdresser Suzanne Famula was with Christopher Harris for five months before calling police
She said: ‘I don’t think this crime is taken seriously enough. I felt so let down by the system – I didn’t feel supported as a victim.
‘I had to really advocate for myself and fight my corner every step of the way. The only support I got was from Catch 22, a victim support charity.
‘This has dragged on for over three years and has had a huge impact on my mental health.
‘I’ve lost friends because of the shame I’ve felt. I didn’t think I could tell anyone, so friends cut me out. I want other victims to know you will get through it, though.’
