Dating website fraudster took £20,000 from OAPs

Kerryann Williams posed as attractive women online and promised the 68-year-old she would be his carer.

But the 33-year-old never met the pensioner, instead swindling £6,000 from him by using four fake profiles.

Each time he handed over money she stopped talking to him and set up a new profile before going through the scam again, Portsmouth Crown Court heard.

As a judge jailed Williams for two years it was revealed she tricked 19 other victims out of more than £20,000.

Speaking after Williams was jailed, the victim, from Portsmouth, said: ‘I’ve had a nervous breakdown over it, which she put me through.

‘I’m satisfied with the two years – she deserved that.

‘I don’t think there’s a remote chance I’ll get my money back. At the end of the day she shouldn’t have done it.’

During the fraud the victim travelled to Slough and Reading to give Williams nine phones after she begged him for them.

He never met her but gave the handsets to other people.

The pensioner, who suffers from asbestosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, is still paying out on the contracts.

‘I did get two debt collectors visit from the phone company,’ he added.

Williams, who has no previous convictions, used Plenty of Fish, Tagged.com Hi5.com and Facebook for her frauds.

She would claim she was the victim of domestic abuse and in court her barrister said she was forced to get cash for her drug addict husband.

But Recorder Nicolas Gerasimidis rejected this, holding her responsible.

Sentencing, he said: ‘These were, in my judgement, mean offences.

‘You knew perfectly well what you were doing.’

He added: ‘These were carefully planned, carefully executed offences.

‘The lies were spun, woven, in a way which caused your victims to believe what was being said to them.’

The court heard Williams, of Glebelands Road, Thatcham, Berkshire, would tell her victims she was going to travel on the train to see them.

But she would claim there was engineering works, delays or a crisis that meant she could not make the trip.

A 76-year-old victim was conned of £4,760, sending her two phones, believing he was speaking to someone called Tara Smith.

When he did actually meet her he tried to take a photo of her and refused so he became suspicious.

He even hired a private investigator, while police were already investigating the case.

Tim Concannon, mitigating for Williams, said it was her husband who instigated the fraud and she ‘bitterly regrets’ what she did.

‘She feels bitterly ashamed and remorseful and wants to make reparations,’ he said.

Williams admitted two counts of fraud by false representation and asked for 17 frauds to be taken into consideration.