A MAN who lied about being a doctor and used dating sites to find women to scam has been jailed for 18 months.
Mohamad Yousef was convicted of fraud after he faked a relationship with one female victim and scammed her out of £15,000.
Yousef, 37, met the 30-year-old woman on a well known dating site in May 2017. He told her that he was a doctor, a claim he supplemented by sending her a picture of him wearing hospital scrubs.
The pair were engaged within a month and Yousef told his fiance that he was planning for them to wed at the Dorchester Hotel.
The victim initially transferred £800 into Yousef’s account at his request after he said he needed the extra cash for their wedding. He then convinced her to take out a £15,000 loan to cover the costs of their nuptials.
Once Yousef was in possession of the £15,000, he broke off all contact with the woman.
When she contacted the hospital that he claimed to have worked at, they had no knowledge of him. She then contacted the Dorchester Hotel and was told that no booking had been made for the wedding.
Yousef fled to Africa and was arrested at Heathrow on his return in September 2017.
Despite accepting the money from the loan, Yousef said the victim took it out against his wishes.
Yousef, who told police his occupation was a minicab controller, said he received more than £14,000 from the loan but had only returned with £6,000, having spent the rest as his father was unwell.
DS Milan Pandya, said: “It is so important that anyone scammed by online fraudsters comes forward so that we can make a start in putting a stop to their activities.
“Victims should absolutely not be embarrassed. These unscrupulous people are convincing and tenacious in their deceptions.
“Please don’t hesitate to contact police if you have been a victim of this crime – at the very least contact us to ensure that you receive any support that you may need.”
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