A single mum conned out of a massive after being "lured" into "trading" by a smooth-talker on a dating app, has issued a stark warning others to always "listen to your gut feeling". Earlier this year, Gabriella Kranyik, 46, a personal fashion assistant from north-west London and mum to teen daughter Stella, 18, was desperately looking for ways to boost her income as she was "struggling financially". She met a man named Gabriel on the dating app "happn" though she's since sussed out the name was likely "fake name" and got sweet-talked into trading within just a fortnight of chatting, believing her cash would be put to good use.
But after shelling out £600 and £1,500, Gabriella was gutted when she discovered her 'profits' of 52,406.60 US dollars (£39,078.35) were a complete con job.
Already £10,000 in the hole, Gabriella tried to claw back some cash through signing up for online work, only to find out, much to her despair, that it was all another scam. Saddled with borrowing about £11,000 from mates and family for both flops, she shared how it left her feeling "embarrassing" and "humiliating". She's since taken to launching a fundraising page, hoping to salvage her finances enough to cover rent, bills and repay the hefty sum she owes.
Gabriella reached out to Action Fraud about each scam, yet she revealed "nothing happened" despite her detailed accounts Action Fraud admitted they got two reports but didn't pass them to the police. She shared with PA Real Life the toll it t.