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Tinder-Schwindler condemned: Two years in prison for emotional blackmail!
A Viennese swindler was sentenced to two years in prison after having cheated women by 150,000 euros through dating apps.
Tinder-Schwindler condemned: Two years in prison for emotional blackmail!
In a shocking case of relationship fraud, a 32-year-old man from Vienna, who acted under the pseudonym Leonard, has been sentenced to two years in prison. His scam consisted of emotionally manipulating women via dating apps over several years in order to steal money. At Wednesday's court hearing, he admitted that he made up all of the claims he told the women - with the exception of one statement. He stated that he needed the money due to his gambling addiction, which amounts to a whopping 150,000 euros, as meinbezirk.at reports.
Leonard built emotional bonds through “love bombing,” deliberately leading the women into pressure situations to obtain money. Nine affected women were called as witnesses and described similar experiences. The demands for money included, among other things, excuses about university fees, car repairs as well as the threat of arrest and family deaths. He even didn't shy away from emotional blackmail, threatening suicide if he wasn't helped. This is a common scam among love scammers, as psychologist Leonardo Vertone explains. Often, despite inner doubts, the victims remain trapped in these toxic relationships because they have developed real feelings and thus find themselves in an emotional vicious circle, as 20min.ch describes in more detail.
The emotional pressure
Specialist Michal Hasler from the KESB adds that the assistance provided to those affected often only offers limited protection. Fraudsters' strategies are varied. These combine blocking and unblocking contacts to induce fear and relief in victims. This methodology causes many women to fall deeper into feelings of guilt, especially when the perpetrator manipulates with statements like “If you really love me, you will help me.”
Leonard's fraud spanned four years. During this time, he was not only a skilled manipulator, but was also prosecuted for his gambling addiction since 2019. The women reported fake wire transfers that he used to make it appear that he was truly in need. While some reported emotional abuse, Leonard strongly believed these allegations were unfounded.
The consequences for the victims
His sentence of 24 months of partly conditional imprisonment, including eight months of unconditional imprisonment, will be a bitter consequence for Leonard of his actions. In addition to the prison sentence, the court also ordered him to undergo probation and therapy. The financial consequences are also significant: He has to pay around 147,000 euros in damages and remains in prison for 12 days.
When the events are emotionally processed, those affected remain afraid of further manipulation. Those affected by love scams are often in vulnerable situations and suffer from cognitive impairments, which further increases the dangers of these scams.
Leonard's case is a sad example of the dark side of the digital age and the unscrupulous exploitation of human relationships by fraudsters who have no empathy or compassion.