It’s hard to feel too bad for a scam artist’s victim who meets a random stranger online and then agrees to let this stranger live with him for a week — and then get’s robbed. That’s what British police say Matthew Attenborough, 30, has done to a string of gay men he’s targeted online. In a recent case a “43-year-old victim said a man who had been lodging with him for a more than a week had made off with about £600 in cash and credit cards.” The pair met online. So here’s a trip: The Internet can be great for finding sexual partners. It can be great for finding roommates. But do not confuse the two.
Danny
I just noticed something disturbing. The guy’s picture you are showing for Matthew Attenborough is shown on the Grindr App website under Grindr stories as Steven. The link is
http://www.grindr.com/index.php/stories/user/steven
Vixlad
@Danny: @Danny: In regards to the grindr part of the story, I find that eery. Do you think that the scam artist might have put that up?
gary
I am one of his victims that got completely screwed. Yes people maybe shouldnt believe wht he tells you but while he’s spinning his stories you get wrapped up in some alternate reality. so its not as clear cut as people think it is
just think before you start pushing your pen
Lisa
He’s also known as Steven Murphy, or at least that was his name when I knew him. He used to live with a friend of mine. He had me and my then partner completely fooled for a while. We were scammed by him, luckily, although he did promise my son a summer job working for his fictitious media company, which obviously never materialised. He deleted me from his facebook friends when I started commenting on his pics/posts pointing out his lies!!
Lisa
Edit to the above – we WEREN’T scammed by him!
Mark
@gary: Just to let everyone know that Matthew Attenborough was arrested on March 20th In Manchester’s Canal Street, he is currently in remand awaiting trial
John
I met this guy in Birmingham a few months ago, I wasn’t convinced I have to say. He was on Gaydar as mcoguy26, in fact he still is. When I saw the article on the BBC website, I sent him the link saying I thought you were called Steve? LOL..
Shouldn’t Gaydar delete his profile????
Oh well, he’s been caught now, not much to look at either to be honest…
JohnnieD
He is now out of prison and back on the prowl. He was released into a bail hostel in Coventry. He pretends to work for ITV and the BBC. He is now trying to convince people to buy cheap technology from him, he pretends that he can get cheap Ipads etc through ITV, takes the money and then runs. He was in Coventry until 23.12.12. He has taken £400 from a friend of mine for a laptop. The laptop never turned up and he disappeared. He was headed for Manchester. Pass the message on people. He is quite convincing, but his stories just don’t fit and he tells you different versions of the same thing, which is what aroused my suspicions. He was convincing enough though.