Internet 'catfish' sentenced for dating app fraud

Kerry Gray arrived at Chelmsford Crown Court after she pleaded guilty to swindling men out of money

A woman who used fake identities on dating apps to swindle three men out of more than £11,000 has been sentenced.

Kerry Gray, 37, of Harlow, Essex, targeted vulnerable men, telling them her parents had just died before she started asking them for money.

At Chelmsford Crown Court, she was given a two-year jail term, suspended for two-years, after previously admitting three counts of fraud by false representation.

Judge Suki Dhadda told Gray: "Count yourself very lucky you have not been taken into custody today. I doubt next time you will be so lucky."

Gray had pleaded guilty at the same court to three counts of fraud

Gray, who sobbed in the dock, matched with one man on Plenty of Fish and two on Bumble, giving false names, the court heard.

Altogether she defrauded £11,349 from the three men.

Settling on her first victim in 2022, the conversation quickly moved to WhatsApp and the court heard they were speaking daily.

But after chatting to her for a few months, he was left £3,384 out of pocket.

On being arrested on 24 February 2024, she said: "I'm such an idiot. I'm sorry - I feel really bad now."

But despite the arrest, Gray matched with her second victim in July 2024, telling him she was a lead nurse.

She told him she had fallen victim to debit card fraud and lost access to her bank account.

She had asked him for £30 for petrol to take her nieces and nephews out but he was concerned that it would not be enough, so gave her £80.

The court heard he was using his savings to meet her demands.

But then she started to ask him for more money.

The relationship ended with the victim sending Gray a screenshot of his empty bank account to prove he had no money left.

A victim impact statement was read out on his behalf, saying it had had a "significant impact on my life."

"I feel like I am in a black hole and I need to get out of it and I am a shadow of who I am," it said.

When Gray was arrested in February over the second victim, it became obvious to police that there was a third victim.

Gray had given him the false name of Hannah Little.

The victim ended up taking out a loan to meet her demands.

When he tried to end the relationship, she threatened to take her own life and also claimed her brother was being abusive to her.

In a statement to police, the victim said he genuinely thought he was in a relationship with Gray.

He had transferred £6,626 to her in 119 transactions.

The court heard she was spending the money on gambling, takeaways, drugs and alcohol.

'Sad and difficult life'

The judge told Gray: "You lured these men in and you started telling them a web of lies."

Simeon Wallis, defending, said Gray had been living off universal credit.

The court heard that at the time of the offences, she was living at her aunt's house and sleeping in a room with a number of children on a mattress on the floor.

Mr Wallis said Gray had a "sad and difficult life" and was put in care at the age of five.

She had once been a care manager in a care home but chose to leave in 2023 due to her addictions to alcohol and drugs.

He said Gray was keen to repay the money, adding: "Gambling is not a good idea for her, but if she were to win a large sum tomorrow, that is the first thing she would do."

The judge has also ordered Gray, who had no previous convictions, to pay back some of the money to each of the victims over the next two years.