'Tinder swindler' who posed as a spy to con women is jailed

A romance fraudster who pretended he was a spy for MI6 and worked for the BBC to con women out of £50,000 has been jailed for more than five years. 

Rodney Roberts, 40, posed as American Paul Smith on dating apps Tinder and Hinge to woo his three victims. 

The kitchen porter told one of the women he was on two-year secondment at the BBC in Wales and worked for US network ABC News. 

During their five-month romance, he showed her a fake BBC lanyard, and she even walked with him to the broadcaster's Cymru headquarters. 

He scammed the women out of £49,841 in total, which he spent on designer clothes and drugs, reports the BBC. 

Roberts was branded as 'selfish and narcissistic' by a judge, as he was sentenced at Newport Crown Court on Friday to five years and one month behind bars.

Jac Brown, prosecuting, told the court how Roberts connected with Charlene Shrowder in February 2021. 

He told her he was from California and said he was working as an attorney and financier, building stadiums in the UK.

Roberts later went on to tell her that his employment was a cover for a role he had in the intelligence services. 

During the relationship he encouraged her to invest in an investment company, showing her he had set up an account in her name.

At first she sent him £1,001 under the promise he would invest it and he later pressured her into sending the £36,000 she made from her house sale.

On another occasion, she sent him £3,000 with the understanding he would send it back the following day, but he never returned the money. The court heard how, in total, Roberts took £40,001 from her.

In October 2022, Roberts connected with his second victim, Rachel Serjeant, on a dating app. Again, he introduced himself as Paul Smith from California.

The court heard how, from the start of their relationship, she made it clear she didn't have much money but Roberts offered to help her financially, telling her he would put it in investments while promising high returns.

When she asked for the money back, he would make up excuses about why he couldn't do so before pretending he had sent her money.

On one occasion, he said someone had badly damaged his tyres and threatened not to see her on Boxing Day if she did not send him the money to pay for them to be repaired.

She broke up with him and said they would not get back together until he paid her. Altogether, she lost £980.

In a victim impact statement, she said: 'It caused a strong sense of grief and I had to come to terms with the impact that everything I thought was real was not. For four months I endured what felt like emotional trauma, only to realise I had been one of many victims used by him.

'Since discovering the truth I have been unable to build relationships. I continue to struggle to trust people, I experience intense thoughts questioning whether someone is being truthful with me. I feel this experience has fundamentally changed who I am.'

In March 2024 Roberts connected with his third victim on Hinge. He told her he worked for ABC and was on a two-year working visa at the BBC offices in Cardiff. 

During their relationship, he would attend the offices and had a lanyard with a BBC ID card, meaning she had no concerns about his employment.

Roberts told Jodie Nicholson he was having issues with his international bank account and asked her for £4,000 to help put a deposit down on a flat. 

A few days later, he asked for another £1,900, saying he needed it to show he had funds available in a UK account.

She was reluctant to send the money, but he promised to return it with interest. He asked for more cash and later told her he had transferred some of the money back to her account, but she could not see it.

As the relationship continued, he promised her jobs in New York and Jamaica. 

Under the belief that she had a job lined up, she did not look for another position and spent most of her savings during the course of the relationship.

He told his victim that his dad had died and she helped him grieve. She became increasingly suspicious, Googled him, and discovered news articles about him. 

She reported him to Action Fraud and has since had the £8,860 he took from her returned.

In a victim impact statement, she told the court: 'Making payments through my mobile banking app now feels paralysing. This crime not only violated my body and sense of self but my relationships and my ability to feel safe in the world.

'Despite this, I pulled quiet determination to heal. I want to be able to speak openly in the hope my experience might help further victims and help others who have been hurt by him or by others like him.'

Kathryn Lane, representing Roberts, said her client had asked her to apologise to the victims in open court. 

She said he now sees there has been a significant impact in ways he did not first appreciate.

Roberts, of Harrison Drive in Trowbridge, Cardiff, had six previous convictions for seven offences, including previous charges of fraud by false representation. 

He pleaded guilty to the three counts of fraud by false representation at a plea trial and preparation hearing.

Judge Celia Hughes sentenced Roberts to five years and one month in prison and ordered restraining orders to be put in place in respect of each of the victims.

She also ordered compensation to be paid in full to the two remaining victims who had not yet been reimbursed. She said it must be paid within two years of March 12.

Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Amanda Davies, of Tarian ROCU, said: 'I am pleased with the sentence handed down today. I hope it sends a message to others who would behave in such an abhorrent way for financial gain. 

'I would like to recognise the victims for their courage in helping us to pursue a conviction and bring Roberts to justice.

'I would urge anyone who forms a relationship online to be cautious. Common warning signs that someone is acting fraudulently include requests for money, a reluctance to meet up in person or via video call, and/or pressure to keep a relationship secret.

'Further warning signs can include love bombing, whereby a new or prospective partner overwhelms you with excessive attention, affection, or grand gestures, typically early in the relationship.

'Fraudsters, and romance fraudsters in particular, excel at spinning a narrative that can sound plausible to victims. If you feel that something could be too good to be true, I encourage you to trust your instincts. Reach out to friends or family. If you believe you may have been a victim of romance fraud, report it to Report Fraud.'