A man who pretended to be a woman in a romance scam and convinced another man to send him £9,000, which he spent on his horse, has avoided jail time. Adam Mowle, 34, impersonated a woman named Jenna Smith on a dating app to deceive his victim into transferring thousands of pounds.
Mowle initiated contact with the man through a fake dating profile, leading the victim to believe they were entering a long-term relationship. He fabricated stories about Jenna’s sickness and financial struggles to manipulate the victim into sending money.
The fraudster, using the alias Jenna Leigh Smith, engaged in a virtual relationship with the victim for a year, making excuses to avoid meeting in person. The victim eventually discovered the deception when he realized the money he had been sending was going to Mowle’s bank account.
Mowle admitted to fraudulent activities between January and December 2019 and was given a suspended prison sentence, along with a compensation order and rehabilitation requirements. Evidence suggested that Mowle had duped other men into giving him money through similar deceptive tactics.
The victim, who suffered significant financial and emotional distress, shared the impact of the scam on his mental health and personal life. Mowle’s defense claimed he was experiencing psychosis during the fraud and had created the false identity due to personal issues.
Despite the seriousness of the offense, the court opted for a suspended sentence considering Mowle’s engagement with mental health services. Authorities commended the victim for coming forward and emphasized the importance of reporting fraud cases to prevent others from falling victim to similar scams.
If you suspect you have been a victim of romance fraud, you can report it confidentially to Suffolk Trading Standards for assistance.