A romance fraudster conned me out of £20k.Now I want the law to be changed

Dating site rat said he had bad heart

- ELLIE FAWCETT and AMANDA KILLELEA

A WOMAN swindled out of £20,000 by a dating site conman wants the law to do more to help victims of "romance fraud".

Callous Christopher Harris said he needed treatment for ailments including a bad heart and fleeced Suzanne Famula, 39, for five months before she finally called in police.

He was jailed for 29 months and Suzanne is speaking out in the hope that the law can be changed to make romance fraud a specific crime to reflect the gravity of the offence.

"I don't think this crime is taken seriously enough," she said.

"I felt so let down by the system. I didn't feel supported as a victim.

"I had to really advocate for myself and fight my corner every step of the way. The only support I got was from Catch 22, a victim support charity.

"This has dragged on for over three years and has had a huge impact on my mental health."

Suzanne met car salesman Harris, 41, on Hinge in November 2020 and they became a couple the next April.

Harris who has 16 previous convictions for more than 25 offences, including nine fraudrelated cases told her he needed private care for health problems including a heart condition.

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After two months of dating, she lent him £400 on the condition he return it once he got paid.

But Harris continued to ask for cash, claiming he was too unwell to work and needed it for his medical expenses, mortgage and bills.