Fraudster Leonnie Robson, 35, mercilessly pursued her victims including one victim who she pressured into giving her his last £1.07 “which was all he had in his account”
A serial romance fraudster targeted lonely men on social media platforms and dating websites, conning them out of more than £8,000.
Leonnie Robson, 35, of Great Yarmouth, sought out vulnerable male victims on platforms such as Facebook between March 2024 and May 2025. In each case she would strike up a relationship with them before fabricating a reason why she needed money.
She told some of the men she suffered from cancer or was fleeing domestic violence and even claimed to others she had lost a child or lost her job. Robson would then request a small loan to pay for electricity, gas, food or presents for her children.
READ MORE: Millionaire crime boss ‘kills himself and stages death as accident on advice of his lawyer’READ MORE: Dogs left to roam among carcasses of dead animals at rehoming centre
She would start off by asking for £10 or £20 before asking for more. The victims ultimately sent Robson £8,176 and none of the money was ever repaid.
Norfolk police were alerted to the fraud in December 2024 when the carer of one of Robson’s victims shared concerns that the man had been sending money to someone he met online. Further police investigation uncovered another eight victims.
It later emerged Robson’s offences happened while she was on licence, having served a second stint in prison for fraud. Robson’s victims said they suffered long last effects of her fraud in personal statements read out to court.
“I thought I’d finally found love and now to realise it was all a lie, is so hard to process,” said one man who met Robson on an online dating website. “I want to find someone to share my life with, but I just can’t open myself up to the pain of this happening again.”
Another added: “Losing this money sucks, but the thing that hurts the most is the confirmation I’m not wanted unless I can be taken advantage of. How am I meant to believe and trust people now in the future?”
A third commented: “After becoming a victim of fraud, I removed myself from online dating. This is really hard for someone of my age who is battling with feeling alone.
“I want to meet someone and have that companionship, but I’m now so scared of being hurt. My confidence has been knocked and where I was willing to meet someone new, I feel that perhaps being alone is a better option.” Judge Robinson told her she had targeted victims before “spinning them lies about your personal life in order to gain their sympathy and trust to persuade them to part with money”.
She said she was sure her offending had a serious detrimental impact on the victims including one who was pursued “mercilessly for everything he had” until he paid over his last £1.07 which was “all he had in his account.” Judge Robinson added: “It’s quite clear this is extremely serious offending” with the crimes taking “significant planning.” The court heard that none of the cash had been recovered.
