iStockA Tinder catfish who duped a man out of almost £5,000 by posing as his girlfriend and a therapist has avoided jail.
Euan Cochrane, 24, pretended on the dating app to be Cara Bruce and chatted online with his victim, who admitted he was dealing with personal issues.
Cochrane then claimed to have an aunt, called Lisa, who was a trained medic and suggested his victim could benefit from her £150-a-week therapy sessions.
Glasgow Sheriff Court heard the 24-year-old man had fallen in love with “Cara” during the pair’s regular chats.
The court heard that the victim agreed to the therapy sessions.
Cochrane, of Stepps, Lanarkshire, created a bogus firm called Better Therapy, set up an email address, and concocted a profile for Lisa Bruce.
The victim was charged a total of £4,800 for virtual sessions with someone he thought was a qualified therapist between June 2020 and May 2021.
Cochrane’s scheme was rumbled after a bank account in the name of a ‘Mr Brice’ was found to be controlled by him.
But the scammer continued to insist his innocence and claimed his victim had asked him to be his “girlfriend” while all along knowing he was a man.
Cochrane also said they already knew each other from playing Grand Theft Auto online.
However, Sheriff David Taylor convicted him of fraud.
The sheriff ordered Cochrane to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work at Wednesday’s sentencing.
He was also ordered to pay his victim £4,800 in compensation.
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