Online Romance Scam Sees Man Jailed for Six Years
A slick fraudster has been locked up for six years and one month after conning women he met online out of huge sums of money. Keyur Vyas, 32, from Tower Hamlets, fooled his victims by posing as a wealthy finance professional and pretending to be in a serious relationship.
Fake Love, Real Fraud
Between 2014 and 2017, Vyas worked as a recruitment agent but used his charm to win women over on dating sites. He would wine and dine them, bonding over shared religion and dreams of starting a family. Once he earned their trust, he persuaded them to invest in phoney business ventures promising big returns.
But the entire scheme was a sham. Vyas was gambling away their money while pushing them to invest more. He even resorted to threats and emotional abuse, warning victims that reporting him to the police would mean losing everything.
£800k Lost as Police Close In
An investigation launched in October 2014 uncovered the scale of Vyas’s scam. He admitted four counts of fraud by false representation in March 2019, with losses totalling around £808,942. Two other charges remain on file. The judge at Kingston Crown Court handed down the hefty sentence on 1 May.
“Vyas used a tried and tested technique to commit fraud. He manipulated trust to lure victims into investing in fake companies, even producing bogus contracts with outlandish clauses,” said Detective Constable Andy Chapman.
“He was selfish and cruel, emotionally exploiting the victims for a combined loss of approximately £639,133.00. Sadly, cases like this are too common.”
Police Warn Online Daters
DC Chapman urged caution for anyone pursuing relationships online: “Never send money or personal details to someone you haven’t met in person. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
