Broken hearts and empty wallets: Tinder addict faces jail for emotional fraud
A 26-year-old Austrian man was sentenced to two years in prison, including eight months mandatory, after defrauding twelve women through dating apps. Between January 2021 and February 2025, this man deceived women to collect money by fabricating romantic stories about urgent personal crises. He obtained around 147,000 euros, which he used to feed his gambling addiction.
Judge Julia Nagy stated that the man "allowed his victims to fund his gambling addiction" and continued to deceive them until he was arrested. In addition to the prison sentence, he was ordered to undergo treatment for gambling addiction and placed under supervision.
The con artist, a trained fashion consultant who was not currently employed, convinced his victims that he urgently needed money for dental procedures, to cover funeral expenses, to repair a car, or to pay police fines. He also claimed he could be deported if he did not repay the money. The man holds Romanian citizenship and used a Spanish name to increase his credibility.
The prosecutor described his actions as "unbelievable in terms of cruelty and misogyny," pointing out that his emotional manipulation left many women psychologically shocked. Some victims believed they were in stable relationships with him, only to later discover through the police that he was involved with several partners at the same time.
During the trial, the man admitted to taking the money but insisted that it was not premeditated, considering his relationships to be fleeting and non-committal. He stated that the motive behind his actions was his gambling addiction, particularly online poker, and he always hoped to win enough to repay the victims. One of the victims, a 33-year-old woman, explained that she lost over 42,000 euros after he exerted multiple emotional pressures on her, threatening to commit suicide if she did not help him.
This case serves as a stark reminder of how easily emotional manipulation and digital deception can be exploited, and the potentially devastating financial and psychological consequences that can follow.