When Danielle* matched with Christian McNamara on Bumble she thought she had lastly met somebody she may belief, a possible companion and buddy.
He launched himself as a high-flying barrister and got here throughout as charming. The pair beginning talking each day, happening to change lots of of messages.
However because the saying goes – if one thing sounds too good to be true – it in all probability is.
To her horror, Christian McNamara was the truth is Cieran McNamara – a serial romance love rat who used a string of false identities to con unsuspecting ladies out of £300,000.
Yesterday McNamara, 37, was jailed for seven years. Now, Danielle, 40, from Birmingham, feels courageous sufficient to inform her story.
** Have YOU been focused by Cieran McNamara? Contact: Olivia.Christie@mailonline.co.uk **
Cieran McNamara, 37, was jailed yesterday for utilizing a string of false identities to focus on rich singletons on-line or by visiting unique accommodations and golf equipment and con them out of cash
McNamara was jailed for seven years at Chester Crown Courtroom after he beforehand plead responsible to 4 counts of fraud by false illustration
Danielle, which isn’t her actual title, met McNamara on Bumble in September 2021 and the pair hit it off.
She opened up about her life, with Danielle revealing she was going by a painful divorce and was quickly to be a single mom.
However the dialog shortly turned sexual, with Christian bombarding her with intimate images and flirty innuendos.
Talking solely to MailOnline, Danielle stated: ‘It was all about constructing belief at first. He would hear all about my life, and be empathetic, supportive and caring.
‘We’d do video calls and he would make me really feel wished, stunning – he exploited the insecurities that his victims had. He was very manipulative.’
She seen that Christian would match descriptions of his life to hers – additionally claiming he was going by a bitter separation from his companion.
‘He would use issues that I had stated about my life and twist them to suit his life,’ she stated. ‘He advised me he was going by a divorce – like he knew I had carried out.’
However in April 2022, the dynamic of their relationship slowly began to alter. Then the online of lies surrounding cash began.
McNamara first contacted Danielle claiming to be in ‘a little bit of a state of affairs’, that he had been mugged and desperately wanted money to get the prepare house.
What began with £20 right here and £30 there quickly snowballed – and inside the house of a month Christian owed Danielle greater than £3,200.
She stated: ‘He caught me at a really weak time when my sister was in poor health in hospital. I had simply come out of a long-term relationship. He took benefit of my variety nature.’
Textual content exchanges between Cieran and his sufferer present him refusing to pay her again earlier than boasting his cash was ‘within the financial institution’
After issues turned bitter, ‘Christian’ despatched Danielle footage of him boasting about how a lot money he had
At one level, she was pressured to cancel her daughter’s party as a result of she could not afford it.
Danielle continued: ‘He got here up with a lot of excuses as to why he could not repay me.
‘It began with he did not have a financial institution card and wished to present me the cash in particular person and apologised for the inconvenience.
‘As time progressed, he stated it was all the way down to an costly divorce.
‘We organized to satisfy six or seven instances so he would repay the cash in particular person, however he by no means confirmed up.’
‘I even obtained him to signal an official IOU, however he was very manipulative – he made me suppose that it was all my fault.
Danielle later learnt that McNamara had posed as a pilot to a different girl he was making an attempt to con
Textual content messages between the pair present ‘Christian’ refusing to present her a refund – including she was ‘losing her time’ by messaging him for it
‘He stated I used to be loopy and that he would put me right into a psychiatric hospital.’
The final straw got here when Danielle, who was now going through monetary difficulties of her personal after lending Christian cash, demanded he pay her again.
However as a substitute of the sort and caring man she thought she knew, she was met with indignant responses.
He advised her: ”I will do it tonight after work, have you ever significantly misplaced the plot’, earlier than snapping ‘give me a break girl’.
Danielle contacted West Midlands Police about McNamara in August 2022, however she was ‘fobbed off’ and advised to report the crime to Motion Fraud.
She stated: ‘I discovered a lot of proof in opposition to him myself and I used to be prepared to present all of it to the police… however I used to be fobbed off.
The fraudster was arrested in Colchester on September 28 final 12 months because of an investigation by the Cheshire Constabulary Financial Crime Unit
The dialog shortly turned sexual, with ‘Christian’ bombarding her with intimate images and flirty innuendos
‘I had two cops come round to my home when my youngsters had been there and say this is not fraud. However I knew precisely what it was.
‘Probably the most infuriating factor about this complete state of affairs is that if the police had listened to me then none of this is able to have occurred – these ladies who did handle to carry fees would by no means have misplaced all that cash.’
Over a 12 month interval from September 2022, McNamara managed to govern 4 victims in Cheshire, Warwickshire and Hertfordshire handy over greater than £302,000.
This was greater than a month after Danielle reported him to police.
She claims McNamara used the cash taken from her to construct his guise of dwelling a luxurious way of life that fooled different victims.
McNamara was arrested in Colchester in September final 12 months following an investigation by Cheshire Police.
He was subsequently charged with 4 counts of fraud by false illustration.
McNamara’s social media confirmed him posing with luxurious yachts, travelling top quality and visiting high-end golf equipment
The fraudster was arrested in Colchester on September 28 final 12 months because of an investigation by the Cheshire Constabulary Financial Crime Unit
Following his arrest officers raided a lock-up being rented by McNamara the place they recovered roughly £19,500 value of brand name new items – together with a £1,900 Burberry coat, a £400 Burberry Scarf, Dubarry boots, Gucci trainers and a Ping golf set.
Danielle continued: ‘The police solely appear to fascinated with those that have misplaced bigger sums of money.
‘£3,200 was some huge cash to me on the time. I went with out meals, rest room paper, could not pay payments. He ruined my life for months and confirmed not an inch of regret.’
After his sentencing at Chester Crown Courtroom yesterday, detectives warned they’d ‘little question’ there have been different unsuspecting victims who had additionally fallen for his charms.
McNamara would pose at unique golf equipment and accommodations – duping victims that he was a profitable entrepreneur or high-flying barrister
McNamara met Danielle on Bumble – earlier than continuing to ask her for cash
Detective Constable Victoria Hazlewood, of Cheshire Police, who led the investigation, stated: ‘McNamara is a serial fraudster, and I really imagine that he can’t inform the distinction between actuality and fantasy.
‘Throughout our investigation, we uncovered an online of lies with hundreds of textual content messages which he despatched to his victims with the intention to extort money to fund his lavish way of life.
‘He satisfied his victims that he was a millionaire with properties throughout the nation, however in actuality, he was unemployed and dwelling out of suitcase.
‘McNamara recognized methods he may management and manipulate his victims and all through the investigation, he has proven no regret for his actions.
‘He really believed that he would by no means be caught by police and that he would by no means be held accountable for his despicable behaviour.
A spokesman for West Midlands Police: ‘We had been contacted by a lady in August of 2002 who had been the sufferer of a fraud by a person she had met on a relationship web site.
‘Particulars had been taken from the girl, and based mostly on the knowledge she was in a position to give us, she was suggested to contact Motion Fraud.’
** Have YOU been focused by Cieran McNamara? Contact: Olivia.Christie@mailonline.co.uk **
